Disclaimer: I so want to own Soubi and Ritsuka, yet I can't. Too bad for me since they belong to Yun Koga.

A/N: In the anime I know Miss Shinonome said she was fine with her ears, but in this story I'm making it a point that she isn't as fond of them as she originally is. ;-D

English class essay paper delayed me from updating sooner. Sorry everyone. And guess what . . . I'm gonna get another one as soon as this one is turned in. Blame my teacher. XD

Yakusoku
Chapter 10: Time After Time

Miss Shinonome humbly sat by herself in the teacher's lounge as she ate lunch alone, as usual. Other teachers chatted to one another, shared stories, laughed, and smiled amongst themselves. Despite all this, Miss Shinonome didn't feel like she was alone; as long as she was surrounded by other people the feeling of loneliness never crept up on her.

However, something clearly bothered her when she looked at the other teachers, they had all lost their ears except for her. At times, she felt like a kid, losing one's ears should have occurred already for someone of her age. It wasn't a necessity to lose them just yet, it was merely a trend most people took to. Miss Shinonome was angry that she couldn't rid herself of them, in the past she had tried, yet somehow it never happened.

I'm a hopeless case.

-----

That afternoon Ritsuka came home to a rampaging mother, right when he stepped foot into the house she was already all over him. It hadn't struck him that she was beating him until he was hit squarely in the jaw when he turned around to see her looming over him. Without hesitation, she pushed him roughly to the floor and continually brutalized his face and chest. Tears quickly came to Ritsuka's eyes as he tried to fend her off, never once yelling at her or hitting back; trembling, he took the blows.

"I want my son back, damn you, give me my son back!" she cried. "Where has the old Ritsuka gone? My cheerful and beautiful child? I want him back!"

What's left of me now? More tears . . .? More lies . . .?

"I hate you so much!" Ritsuka choked out a sob at the statement. "No matter what I do you won't utter a single word, you stupid little bastard! Can't you hear me? I want my son!"

Summoning up whatever remaining strength he had, Ritsuka pushed his mother off him and bolted out the front door, ignoring the pain that was shooting down his chest as he ran. He could hear his mother's screams as he ran, the sound didn't fade until he was a block away. Neighbors watched on with silent sympathy when they saw him pass by, they knew there was nothing they could do for him, they've all tried: Ritsuka always pushed them away.

I still love her no matter what. She's still my mother . . . no matter what.

Closing his eyes even for the briefest of moments as he ran made him crash headlong into someone, a surprised yelp resonated through the air. A dirty blonde haired man rubbed at his throbbing tummy where the boy bulldozed him.

"Owwww, kid, that really hurt!"

Unable to speak due to the pain, Ritsuka curled up in on himself as he cried. He wasn't aware of hitting the man, he wasn't aware of anything around him other than himself and the miserable pain his mother gave him.

"Hey . . . hey, kid, are you all right?" the man asked.

Miss Shinonome happened to be passing by at that time - really, some would have thought it pure coincidence or perhaps: luck.

"A-Aoyagi!" She came rushing to his side, a worried expression marring her features, ears visibly flat against her head. "Aoyagi, what happened to you?" She looked up at the dirty blonde angrily.

"I didn't do anything, lady!" he said exasperatedly. "He ran into me, I swear!"

I'll take care of you, Aoyagi, hang in there!

-----

"That was awfully quick," Soubi said when he heard the front door open and close. A few moments later Kio's head popped out from behind the railing. "Are you sure you got everything?"

"I didn't even make it there, some kid ran into me." Kio sat down on the small couch behind him none too gently, he puffed out a sigh of relief. "Then this woman pops out of nowhere and thought I injured the little guy . . . Sheesh, people these days. And you know what, the kid looked like the boy in your painting, it was rather creepy."

Ritsuka.

"Just like in the painting?" Soubi repeated.

"Yes, just like--" Kio stopped in mid-sentence after realizing something, "--just like the painting? Wait a minute, don't tell me that he was the boy you painted! I didn't know he even existed, Soubi, I thought you made him up!"

"I never said I made him up," Soubi replied. Kio stiffened at the response and sighed. "You assumed he was not real so don't go blaming me."

It all became clear to the dirty blonde now.

"So all those times you ditched me you were spending time with him?"

"You said he was injured and that a woman took him. What did she look like?" Kio was astounded that Soubi even had the nerve to sidestep his question. When Kio did not respond Soubi gave him a frustrated half-glare. "Kio--"

"Don't even start, Soubi."

He's jealous . . .

-----

"Aoyagi, can you hear me?"

Miss Shinonome frantically scuttled around the poor boy's form until she heard a soft moan come from his lips. Large, bluish-green bruises lined the left side of his face, making him look like he was a oversized melon of some sort. One eye was so swollen Miss Shinonome was sure he wouldn't be able to open it for a while - there was even a chance that he could go blind. Other than his facial appearance his teacher didn't know if he had any on his body unless she stripped him.

Her cheeks flared at such a feat.

It's all right, Hitomi, you can do this . . . He is your student and he needs your help. You're not trying to molest him or anything, you're doing this to see if he has any injuries on his body. So . . .

With trembling hands she reached for the boy's shirt, but stopped short of removing it when she lost the courage to.

Don't get nervous now, Hitomi!

Her brown cat ears wiggled around due to her own self-created anger, her tail swished back and forth in rapid motion.

Aoyagi needs me.

Slowly yet surely she peeled off his shirt to see minor scratches on his chest, she sighed in relief. Next, she went for his pants, it took even longer to remove them, but when she managed to get them off there were no injuries present. The worst of it seemed to be on his face. Wasting no time she hurriedly redressed him before he woke up, however it was too late.

"Miss . . . Miss--"

"Oh, uh, Aoyagi!" Startled she let go of his pants, she didn't even get them past his thighs. "You're awake!"

Ritsuka looked down at himself, an automatic blush crept up on his bruised face. He was half naked in front of his teacher - she had been kneeling in front of him touching his pants - lastly but not least he was sure he was at her house.

"How did I get here?" was what came out of his mouth.

What should I say?

What did she do to me?

Their eyes locked, blue molding together with violet. Trepidation was forming on Miss Shinonome's face, she had to say something before Ritsuka got the wrong idea about her intentions.

"I carried you here."

Ritsuka gave her a wary look, he wasn't sure of how to make out her vague explanation.

"Look, Aoyagi," Miss Shinonome could feel heat rising to her own cheeks again, "it's not what you think . . ."

I'm naked, what the hell do you want me to think?

"You . . . You didn't you know . . ." Ritsuka was feeling extremely self conscious, he reached up a hand to feel if his ears were still intact. They indeed were. ". . . I need to get dressed."

"Oh, yes, yes, I'll turn around!"

Where will we go from here?

Chapter 10: END