Dlbn: Hello everyone! SO sorry about the lack of updating! Stupid me didn't realize there was a LOT already written that I could post ^^" So without further ado, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Loveless or anyone cannon to the series or anything form it. That all belongs to Yun Kouga. I DO however own Akira (who is mentioned but doesn't appear). I make NO money off of writing in this category!

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to the birthday of Aoyagi Seimei! Happy birthday Sei-san! Also dedicated to the birthday of my very close friend Michelle! We're the same age now…for a couple weeks, anyway! ;)

000

I walked through the streets of Tokyo, hoping to find my younger brother as quickly as possible. I wasn't entirely sure that Ritsuka would be happy to see me, he certainly wasn't last time we met (before I died for real). But that was then and this was now. I had really died, so that must have meant something, didn't it? I almost passed by a little art gallery that hadn't been there the last time I was in Tokyo. The artist's style on some of the pieces was familiar. Curiosity getting the better of me for once, I pushed open the door to enter. There was a male with lime green hair at the front counter, typing on a cellular. When the bell dinged, he looked up, almost tossing the phone to the side.

"Hey, good morning" He greeted.

"Good morning." I replied coolly.

The male seemed familiar somehow.

"Hey, do I know you?" The male stood, leaning over the counter. "You look rather familiar."

"I doubt it. I've been…somewhere else for quite a long time."

"Ah, a traveler?" He wondered. "What brings you here?"

"This wasn't here the last time I was."

"We've been here four years." The man informed, as if that helped.

"I've been gone for five."

"Ah." The man nodded. "Well, welcome back to Tokyo! Feel free to look around."

"Thank you." I bowed to excuse myself and walked around a little. I didn't know why, but something told me that I had to be here for some reason.

A back door opened and I heard the man up front converse with someone, informing him that I was here, the second male scolded him for how he greeted customers. I heard them laughing and arguing back and forth but thought nothing of it. My eyes settled on a painting towards the back. A plethora of butterflies burst out of a patch of bright red tulips from the local Tulip Festival a few months ago. The date on the photograph said it was taken in May of 2014, so it couldn't have been much later than June. I heard a door open and one of the employees vanished inside. I caught the end of a coat disappearing inside out of the corner of my eye. My eyes trailed from the painting down to a photograph a few frames away. It was a large, blown up photograph of a grave plot. The photo was in black and white, except for the pink sakura petals that were blowing off of a sakura tree; growing from white to pale pink and then vibrant pink as they left the tree. I looked at the name on the gravestone and my blood ran cold.

Aoyagi Seimei
Brother, son, friend, Beloved
Born November 14, 1985
Died April 15, 2009

I took a step back from it. Why in the world would someone take such a photograph of my grave of all peoples'? It wasn't like I was famous, or the greatest person alive at the time. Or ever, really.

Suddenly, a door opened from my side and a hand grabbed me, pulling me inside. One hand covered my mouth as my attacker shut the door, standing behind me. I was about to bite the hand over my mouth, but then I heard a rather familiar deep, baritone voice speak harshly into my ear.

"Haven't you put him through enough, Seimei?" The voice wondered.

My eyes widened for a moment as the hand left my mouth. "Agatsuma?" I wondered.

The man turned me to face him. Though he looked a little older than he did the last time I saw him, now with a new and shorter haircut framing his face, I knew who he was.

"Agatsuma Soubi." I stated coolly. "You have five seconds to get your filthy hands off of me before I force you to."

"You can't force me to do anything." He informed, folding his arms over his chest as he let me go anyway. "But for Ritsuka's sake, I'll be civil." His eyes narrowed. "You have a lot of nerve, coming into our shop."

"Our?" I wondered.

"Kio, Akira, Ritsuka, and I own this gallery." He stated. "Aoi Cho, in case you didn't bother to read the sign out front."

"Why so testy, Soubi?" I wondered. "You've never acted this way towards me before."

"Maybe I'm just sick of you faking your death and coming back just to torment Ritsuka." Soubi growled.

"What makes you think I've faked it yet again?"

"You're standing in front of me."

"Didn't you bury my body? Didn't Ritsuka attend the funeral?" I wondered. "You had my body."

"They thought that last time, as well."

I took that into consideration. "I suppose I understand where you're coming from, but perhaps I'm merely a ghost."

Soubi snorted. "Nice try."

"You don't believe me?"

"I'd take you as more of a demon then a ghost. Perhaps a poltergeist or a wraith, if you're still keen on trying to convince me that you're a ghost."

I don't like this new Agatsuma Soubi. He was much too cocky and disrespectful for his own good.

"Have you forgotten your place, Agatsuma?" I snarled.

"My place is with Ritsuka. Not you. I don't have to listen to you anymore." His fingers gently traced over his neck, where my name once lay. "You're just a memory."

"Or perhaps a nightmare?" I offered. "Since we've discussed him already, I may as well ask. Just where is my little brother, anyway?"

"Home." Soubi stated. "Our home."

"And just what are you trying to imply by that?"

"You've been gone quite a while, Seimei. Things have changed." He stated. "And I know you won't like it."

I glared. My blood was boiling, but I didn't want to let it show, to let him think he'd won.

"I can't change what has already been." I started slowly. "Even a Fighter like you can't turn back the hands of time."

He considered that, nodding once. "What do you want?" He sighed.

"What makes you think I want anything?"

"You only come around when you want something." Soubi stated. "And if it's to see Ritsuka, you can forget it. He doesn't want to see you. He just started getting over the idea that you're dead for real this time, killed in front of his eyes by Gomon Mikado of Moonless and her Fighter. I'm not bringing you to him just so you can hurt him again."

"I think it's my choice if I see him again or not, Soubi, but I appreciate you trying to protect me." A deep voice replied from behind him.

We both turned to spot a male around my height, but obviously younger than me, without ears or a tail standing behind him. Black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, minus a few shorter pieces dangling in front of his eyes and near his ears. If it wasn't for vibrant plum eyes staring at me hatefully, I wouldn't have guessed who it was. My first thought was shock. Here was Ritsuka, my little brother, standing right before my eyes as a man. A legal man. My second thought was anger. Just where in the hell did those ears go? Oh, Agatsuma was going to pay for defiling my precious little brother, the only other human alive, like that. Judging from the silent communication passing between them via their bond and the looks they were giving one another, it wasn't hard to figure out that they were more than just a Fighter and Sacrifice.

"Ritsuka?" I greeted softly. "You're…all grown up…"

Ritsuka glared, looking down over his nose at me. "That's Loveless to you, Beloved."

I was surprised. My brother was normally so sweet and gentle. Why was he being so harsh?

"Ritsuka…" I took a step forward.

Both the Fighter and Sacrifice glared at me as I did. I stepped back.

"Rit…Loveless…why so cold?" I wondered. "It's me…Seimei…"

"I know who you are, idiot!" Ritsuka snapped. "You think you can just waltz back into my life again, right after I'm starting to get used to the idea that you are dead for real, after having witnessed you die? I was eighteen, Seimei, barely an adult yet!"

"You also still had your ears…" I muttered softly.

"That's all you have to say to me, really?" Ritsuka cocked an eyebrow. "I lost my ears when I was eighteen." He snorted. "Leave it to you to not be able to tell the difference between my real ears and a pair of fakes…"

Soubi smirked at me, triumphant for whatever reason. Did he think I would be alright with him doing that to my dear little brother?

"To you, I would imagine…"

"You're not as slow as you've been pretending to be, I see." Soubi observed, cocky.

"Come on, Soubi, don't be too rude." Ritsuka chuckled.

"Hai." Soubi went to his side, putting an arm around his waist.

I felt my insides retch. How dare he touch my Ritsuka? And in front of me, at that? If only I could use my demonic powers yet. Soubi would be six feet under before Ritsuka could yell 'stop'.

"Hey, you're the one who told him to find me and love me." Ritsuka told me. "So don't be surprised or disgusted about this, now."

"I didn't think he'd actually fall in love with you…it was an order."

"That's what happens when you bond with someone, Seimei. You become closer than anyone can even begin to imagine."

"I know what the bond is like, Agatsuma." I snorted. "But not everyone that's bonded ends up sleeping together. Your mother and Ritsu are prime examples. How is the old man, anyway?"

"As much of a pain in the ass as ever." Ritsuka said for Soubi, who seemed to be biting his tongue so he didn't say something he'd regret.

I knew I struck a nerve by not only mentioning his least favorite person in the world, but using him and Soubi's departed mother in the same sentence. They had been a unit, but she had called off any relations with Ritsu in favor of Soubi's father. Chouko was her name, but I'm not sure what his was. Soubi probably didn't know either, as he'd only been six when they died, and he and Ritsu hated one another. Ritsu and Soubi's father, that was. I knew Ritsu had some kind of pedophilic interest in Soubi since he was young, and Soubi had some kind of feelings for him as well. Though I wasn't sure what they were exactly.

"Good to know that some people don't change."

"It's been five years since you've been gone, since we buried you…or whoever the hell that was."

"Oh, that was me." I smirked. "Haven't you ever heard of the walking dead?"

"The television show?" Ritsuka questioned. "I don't see what that has to do with anything…"

"I think Seimei is trying to tell us that he's a zombie." Soubi corrected my brother. "Although earlier he tried to tell me that he's a ghost."

"And Soubi proceeded to tell me I couldn't be a ghost unless I was a poltergeist or a wraith. Though, I must say, Soubi, I didn't know you had such extensive knowledge of spirits."

Soubi flushed. "Everyone has a hobby, Seimei."

"You paint."

"That's my career." Soubi corrected. "It's not a hobby."

"You do paint to relax sometimes, Soubi." Ritsuka winked. "Not to mention our more…private collection."

I wanted to throw up. It sounded like the two of them had some pornographic collection or something. Judging from the matching blushes on their faces, I was in the ballpark. I threw up in my mouth a little. Disgusting.

"Could you discuss that when I'm not here?"

"Good, so you get the point of me bringing it up." Ritsuka leaned onto Soubi and folded his arms. "Get lost."

"Ritsuka…please…" I begged, resorting to falling to my knees and trying to look pathetic. "Give me a few minutes to explain myself. Please."

Ritsuka glanced down at his arm, which sported a green watch. "Fine. You have ten minutes. I have a shoot to get to."

"That's why I'm surprised you're here." Soubi stated.

Ritsuka shrugged. "I thought I'd drop in and grab an extra roll of film."

"A shoot?" I questioned.

"I'm a photographer." Ritsuka stated. "I'm doing an apprenticeship at the moment for class, but they're going to hire me as a full timer once I graduate."

"You're in college…" I was proud.

"Well, I am twenty-three, you know. I have an Associates' degree, but I'm working on my Bachelor's." He stated. "In color photography, anyway. I have my Bachelor's in black and white."

"You're going to have three degrees at twenty two?"

I counted the associates.

"No, two." Ritsuka corrected. "My associates is just in photography. I'm going for two Bachelors since I already have my first."

"Doesn't it bother you, Soubi, that your…er…."

"Fiancé." Ritsuka informed, tapping his ring finger against his arm to show off a small diamond ring.

I grit my teeth. "Fiancé…is just finishing college when you have to have been out of school for years?"

"I graduated with my Masters two years ago, yes." Soubi snorted. "But no, it doesn't bother me. Why? Does our age gap bother you, Seimei?"

I didn't reply on that topic. Ritsuka chuckled, knowing Soubi had put me in a corner.

"You have ten minutes, Seimei. Come on, don't waste it asking pointless questions and arguing with Soubi. You won't outwit him." Ritsuka practically bragged for the blonde, leaving him smiling.

"Fine."

I told them the story of waking up in Hell and being sent up here by Lucifer.

"You lost your ears in hell, didn't you?" Ritsuka chuckled. "Some demon make you his pet?"

"On the contrary, there are beings in hell that fear me." I snorted. "And no, I took a bedmate."

"Who? Akame?" Soubi chuckled.

I didn't say anything, making them exchange a look.

"Seriously? Of all the beings in hell?" Ritsuka wondered, scrunching up his nose in disgust. "Gross."

I shrugged. "Convenience."

"Is he aware that that's what you think of it?"

"Quite aware."

"And he's okay with it?"

"Why wouldn't he be?"

Soubi rolled his eyes. "I can think of numerous reasons."

Ritsuka laughed. I waited for their reply.

"I wouldn't be surprised if hell is where you end up, Seimei." Soubi admitted. "Admit it, you deserve that fate."

I glared at him, but he didn't seem fazed like he used to. Being with Ritsuka emboldened him.

"And Lucifer himself chose you and Akame to help him bring forth the apocalypse?" Ritsuka paused. "Well, you'd be crazy enough to agree to it."

"I did it so I could see you again." I said. "While we're here, Nisei and I can do whatever we want, as long as the brat survives. We don't need to be in his life until he's in school."

"You wasted your time, Seimei." Ritsuka stated. "You know too much about my life already. You're not welcome in it."

"Ritsuka…"

"I told you not to call me that. Only certain people in our world get to call me that. You are not one of them."

"Our world? You're active as a Unit?"

"Semi-retired." Ritsuka stated. "I took your place in Septimal Moon, but the only Fights we get into are for testing and training purposes."

My blood ran cold at that. No way was my sweet, innocent, slightly naïve baby brother aligning himself with those washed-up fools!

Ritsuka checked his watch and spoke before I could offer my objections. "Shit, I'm going to be late if I don't leave now."

"Want me to drive you?" Soubi offered.

"Could you? If you're not busy?"

"Not at all." Soubi smiled, leaning down an inch to kiss my brother.

Ritsuka grew. He was almost taller than me. Almost. I looked away and dry heaved.

"Don't like, don't look." Ritsuka stated.

"I'm leaving, which means you need to get out." Soubi told me. "I'm not keen on leaving you alone here with Kio."

So that's who was at the front desk. Kaido Kio. He was Soubi's overprotective best friend that needed to learn his place. I didn't like how he used to speak to me, but he didn't seem to recognize who I even was.

"Akira's taking him to lunch in half an hour anyway." Ritsuka stated. "We'll be closing for lunch."

"Even better." Soubi nodded. "Go." He nodded towards the door he'd pulled me through.

"Why am I going first?"

"We know what happens when one turns their back to you." Ritsuka stated. "They get raped, stabbed in the back, or killed. Go, Seimei. Don't fight me."

"You really think I'd do any of those things to you, Ritsuka?"

"I don't know what you'd do, Seimei."

"Can't you trust me?"

"The last time I trusted you, you faked your own death for two years, returned to try and force me to join you, fled, returned to take away Soubi, returned to drop him back and try to convince me to join you again, then fled to America like a rat, returned to get me to join you again, and then went off to Seven Voices, where you ended up getting killed by Moonless alongside your Fighter, died, and then mysteriously came back today claiming you and Akame are playing babysitter for Lucifer himself." Ritsuka snorted. "Do you see why trusting you tends to get me into some shitty situations? Now go."

My shoulders slumped in defeat. It looked like I wouldn't be winning points with Ritsuka any time soon. I opened the door and exited, with them right behind me.

"Kio, I'm taking Ritsuka to his photo shoot. Can you lock up when you go for lunch?" Soubi wondered as we neared his friend.

"Sure thing, Sou-chan!" Kio gave him a thumbs up. "Ah, I see you've met our customer."

"Yeah, we did." Ritsuka stated flatly. "Scram." He told me.

"Rit-chan!" Kio scolded. "I'm so sorry. He's not normally rude like that…"

I didn't feel like arguing with him. "I'm sorry, Ritsuka…" I informed him softly.

"I know." He stated. "But you can't just waltz back into my life and make everything okay by saying 'I'm sorry', Seimei."

"Wait a minute. Seimei? Your brother?" Kio wondered. "I thought you were…?" He dragged a finger across his neck.

"Hell spit me back out." I muttered, leaving before anyone could say anything more.

"Do you think we were too harsh on him?" Ritsuka asked Soubi.

I could hear them as they exited the building.

"Harsh is the only thing he understands, Ritsuka." Soubi took him by the hand and kissed his knuckles. "Don't worry so much, alright? If you feel bad about it later, you can apologize whenever we see him again."

"You mean if."

"He can't stay away."

They walked past me, hand in hand, as I waited for them to pass the alley. I watched until they were out of sight before turning and quickly walking towards the nearest subway. I'd never been so humiliated in my life.