Author's Note: For some reason I'm pretty shaky and hyper right now. Coffee usually doesn't do that to me, but there's a first time for everything.

"Ritsuka?" I could feel Soubi shaking me. I was gripping the card to my chest. Soubi was trying to pry it out of my hands. "Ritsuka?" The slap echoed throughout the entire room. I was so shocked I let go of the card and fell back. "I'm sorry. You wouldn't listen." Soubi read the card and ripped it into pieces.

How was Seimei watching us and for how long? I had so many questions I wanted to ask him, but I didn't want to get near him. I picked up the gloves and hat and walked into the kitchen. "Ritsuka what are you doing?" Soubi followed me, but didn't catch up to me fast enough. I turned on the stove and held the gloves over the fire. Even when the fire started to touch my fingers I held the there. "Ritsuka! Stop it!" Soubi yanked my hands away. I threw the hat into the fire before he could stop me. "You're going to blow the house up!"

I was tossed onto the couch while Soubi fixed everything. After awhile he appeared with a first aid kit. "Look at your hands." They were red and hurt. Soubi started applying things that stung, but made my hands feel better at the same time. Then he wrapped up each of my fingers slowly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Soubi." He shook his head.

"Ritsuka, you can't let things get to you like that." What was I supposed to do? "You can get mad at me or hurt me. Don't hurt yourself."

"No!" Soubi stared at me.

"Why would I hurt you?" I looked down at my hands.

"I know you like me-" I almost punched him.

"I like cookies. I love you! It's not like Soubi! Don't be stupid. I'm going to sleep." I curled up on the couch.

"Ritsuka..." Soubi sounded really hurt, but it was his own fault.

"Don't say I just like you Soubi, and I will never hurt you on purpose. I'm not Seimei." I could hear him suck in a breath. So it was true what people said. So did I love my brother who had always protected me, or Soubi who picked up protecting me with his life when Seimei left me? It was a harder choice than I thought. I was loyal to Seimei in such a weird way. Whenever he hurt me I would try even harder to make him approve. I loved Soubi in a way that I'd never loved anyone else. I didn't want to see him hurt or in pain.

Soubi stroked my hair slowly. "I'm sorry. Everything will be okay, so you can sleep now. I'll take care of it for you."