A/N: *slowly crawls out of hole and chuckles nervously* Hey guys! *waves hesitantly* Long time…no update, huh?

Soubi: That's the biggest understatement of the century *smirks*

Shut up, Sou-chan! Hmph! Anyway, I really feel like I owe you guys an explanation. Unfortunately, I don't have one…I have, like, twelve. Yeah, A LOT of stuff has happened in the past few months.

Soubi: You know what didn't happen, though? Updates.

Ugh. Sorry guys. I wish I could say that I'll be updating more now, but that may not be the case. This is my senior year, so I'm juggling so much right now. Please bear with me, though! I will do my best to update!

Disclaimer:

Soubi: Say it yourself. This is your punishment for neglecting your stories.

Me: *cries* I don't own Loveless!

Soubi: Good girl.

ENJOY!

Ritsuka tugged away from Seimei's arm, desperately fighting against his brother. Seimei held fast onto his brother. He knew that the second he released him, the little boy would up and running back to Soubi. So the Beloved sacrifice decided to stop him in another way. "Ritsuka, do you love me?"

Ritsuka froze, eyes widening in surprise. "I…of course, I love you, Seimei. You're my brother. It's just… I don't always understand, Seimei. I don't understand why you treat Soubi the way you do. I don't understand why you can't see how hard he tries just to please. And… I don't understand how you can look at him like he's nothing," Ritsuka murmured these last words softly, violet eyes downcast as he was unable to meet Seimei's unwavering gaze.

"He is nothing." The younger brother flinched at the cold, factual tone in his brother's voice. Instead of arguing back, Ritsuka remained silent, his soft pale lips mashing together. It would be useless. Because no matter how hard he tried to tell Seimei he was wrong, no matter what desperate and imploring words he offered his brother, Seimei would always continue to see Soubi as a play thing. He wouldn't see what Ritsuka saw – a lonely, resigned soul who's thought his only purpose in life was to serve. Instead Seimei only saw yet another possession meant to be manipulated until it could work no longer.

Ritsuka was torn out of his thoughts by his brother's following words. "I am sorry, Ritsuka. I've allowed you to waste your time with someone who does not matter." The Beloved one stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his younger brother. "I won't allow it to happen again. I promise." Resting a warm hand against his little brother's tiny shoulder, Seimei gently urged him forward in the direction of their home. Ritsuka remained silent the entire time.

Soubi was alone with his tears.

Silver trails of warm liquid fell against his frozen face, and the fighter pressed a hand against them disbelievingly. He could only recall crying once before in his entire life. After his parents died, all other tears seemed useless, not to mention tears were only a visible sign of weakness. He refused to show any further weakness, especially not around Ritsu.

Ritsu. Perhaps he could blame his current situation on his former teacher. Perhaps he was the real reason Soubi was alone and hopeless with only cold, bloody corpses to keep him company. Perhaps Ritsu was the real reason he wanted to scream but could not. Maybe, Ritsu was the reason he was so silent.

At the thought, a desperate sob pressed against his throat, though he quickly suppressed it. It was as though he'd never grown up but simply remained a frightened sniveling child all of his life. He may have grown taller, more powerful, and faster, but he felt just as lost and foolish as he had the night he first met Ritsu. It seemed that no matter how much he fooled himself into believing he was stronger, he was not. He was still just a child – one who'd seen too many horrors of the world but a child nonetheless.

Soubi quietly approached the bodies of the fallen Hopeless pair, not bothering to dry his eyes. He stopped a few centimeters shy of the dried blood-stained dirt that their bodies rested against. At the sight of their pale lifeless eyes, a few more tears hit the ground. Blank, vacant eyes just like his mother's. For the first time in years, Soubi didn't feel quite as a numb. A twisted form of relief filled his heart, though bitter disappointment was soon alongside it. He wasn't dead; he could still feel. He wasn't able to shut everything out yet.

"This…was the first time," the blond muttered to himself, throat uncomfortably tight. "And for something so useless." Long slender fingers rubbed at the dried blood on his neck. So much unnecessary blood. It was everywhere, painting the world red. His blood, his parents' blood, Asahara's blood, Ayama's blood – but never the blood of those who deserved it. Never Ritsu's blood. Never Seimei's blood.

Soubi winced. His nails dug into the messy half-healed name etched into his skin. "I shouldn't speak of my sacrifice that way. I should love him." After a moment's pause, he corrected himself. "I do love him. I love him. I love him," the fighter rambled under his breath. "All of this is for Seimei, for his happiness. It's worth it. It's for Seimei. It's for Beloved."

Finally, he pulled his hand away from his neck. He leaned forward, careful of the blood, and closed the eyes of his dead opponents. Faint traces of his blood clung to their eyelashes. Soubi took another step back, his blank sapphire eyes simply staring. At last he spoke, "I'm sorry." With a quick, static motion, he tossed his hand over the dead fighter and sacrifice. "Burn."

Starting from the tips of his fingers, a spark flared to life, jumping onto Ayama's skin and igniting into a raucous black flame. It traveled up to the ends of her blood-stained hair and skittered across her palms to Asahara's outstretched hands. The inky fire caressed them entirely, engulfing them until only silver glittering ash remained.

What have I done?

Beneath the warm embrace of his sheets, Ritsuka jumped as a light tapping noise sounded from his balcony door. The raven-haired sacrifice sat up immediately, surprised to see a familiar shadowy figure at his window. He rushed over to the glass doors, pushing them open as quietly as possible. As he pushed aside the door and the curtains, the moonlight rushed forward to illuminate his mysterious visitor. And there stood Soubi, blood-stained and shaking.

"Ritsuka," the fighter whispered reverently as soon as the glass barrier was pushed aside.

"Soubi," Ritsuka cried softly, immediately wrapping his petite arms around Soubi's waist. The dejected blond allowed his long graceful fingers to tangle throughout the young sacrifice's deep silky fringe. Soubi kneeled so he was eye level with Ritsuka. The ten year old latched his arms around Soubi's neck, amethyst eyes locked on the painful cobalt orbs in front of him.

"I'm so sorry, Soubi," Ritsuka whispered, fighting to keep his voice low and in control. "I'm sorry for what Seimei made you do. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him. I can't even imagine how you must be feeling, how you must be hurting. You don't deserve this, Soubi. You don't deserve any of this," he spoke fervently and tearfully. Finally, a pair of calloused fingers covered his gentle moist lips.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Ritsuka." Soubi smiled, though the gesture was clearly unnatural and faked. "None of what occurred tonight was your fault. If anything, it was mine. Regardless of what Ayama insisted, I should not have allowed you to battle." Ritsuka opened his mouth to protest, but Soubi interjected once more. "What occurred tonight cannot be altered, and there is no use in placing blame. I am not here to argue technicalities with you, Ritsuka." Soubi smiled once more, and finally a faint glimmer of amusement reached him eyes. He pulled the sacrifice's hands away from his neck. "However, I do owe you an apology." The fighter gently ran the pads of his fingers against the faint bruises that marred the skin of Ritsuka's wrists. "I am sorry that I allowed you to be hurt. That was unacceptable."

Soubi pulled one of Ritsuka's hands to his mouth, his warm lips trailing against the flawed skin. Ritsuka shivered. His eyes fluttered shut at the sensation. Similar treatment was given to his other hand, and a strong arm wrapped around his waist to steady his trembling body. "Soubi," a quiet moan ripped from his lips, as Soubi's moist lips fluttered over his pulse point.

At the sound of Ritsuka's voice and shallow breathing, Soubi jolted away from the younger boy. Ritsuka's eyes widened as a look of horror flickered through Soubi's eyes. "Wh-what am I doing?" the fighter muttered in a strangled tone, his bloody hands tearing away from Ritsuka's hair. "What is wrong with me? You're…just a child." His blurry cerulean eyes stared at his crimson covered palms. "I'm sorry, Ritsuka. I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you! I don't want to make you dirty!" Soubi's voice grew increasingly frantic as he continued. "You believe me, don't you? Please don't hate me, Ritsuka. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Tears fell, soaking the carpet. Ritsuka was silent, uncertain of what to say. He only ran his fingers through Soubi's hair and allowed the fighter to hold him as desperately and tightly as he wished.

A/N: THE CHAPTER OF ANGST, INSANITY, AND INTERNAL MONOLOGUES! \\_/ So, not much plot stuff in that chapter, but I think I compensated by including some fluff AND that sexy wrist molestation. Wrist porn FTW. What did you think, Sou-chan?

Soubi: *perverted smirk* I approve.

-_- Of course you do… So, what's gonna happen next? Will there be more sexy wrist action? Will the next chapter actually have a plot? Will I update in a timely manner?

Soubi: Do you really wanna go there?

All of these questions and more will be answered in chapter 11 of TIMELESS!

CHALLENGE: So, I gots a little challenge/contest/request for you guys. I dare you to include some sexy wrist action in your next fic…or heck, just write some wrist action anywhere! In your review or a pm, write a short (or long) sexy wrist action scene. (If you put it in one of your fics, tell me the name of the fic). I will choose the sexiest one and the writer of gets an oneshot of their choice! CONTEST ENDS OCTOBER 31!

SEE YA NEXT TIME!