Disclaimer: I own no part of Loveless. I just borrow characters and give them back when I'm finished with them. But if I never finish, do I have to give them back?

Chapter Eight: Hopeless

Ritsuka ran until he was so out of breath it hurt to breathe. There was a burning pain in his left side and his lungs ached every time he gasped. His heart beat was a physical sensation in his chest.

With the last of his strength, Ritsuka leaned up against the nearest telephone pole, not really caring that people were staring at him.

"Oy, Loveless! Got a new look?"

Ritsuka's head shot up from the pole he was leaning on to look into the blue-haired Youji's face. Behind him stood Natsuo. They had on school packs and uniforms.

"You alright?" Youji asked. He appeared honestly concerned.

Ritsuka pushed himself upright. "Yeah, I'm fine.." he told them. The burning in his side and chest had subsided a bit. "What are you guys…"

"Oh, we're going to school just around the corner," Natsuo said. "Soubi-san set us up. His apartment's right around the corner."

Zero was still living with Soubi, having nowhere to go themselves. Ritsuka knew that. It wasn't a secret.

"Are you sure you're alright, Loveless?" Natsuo asked. "You don't look so good."

Ritsuka nodded. "I-I'm fine…"

"Well, Tsou-chan, I guess we don't have to wonder where Soubi-san was last night…" Youji grinned.

"I'd say it was pretty obvious…" Natsuo grinned wickedly as he reach out and patted Ritsuka's head.

Ritsuka ducked his head away from the other boy's touch. He wasn't in a mood to be petted.

"You wanna come over for a drink or something?" Youji asked. "Soubi'd sure love to see you when he gets off work today."

Ritsuka shook his head, almost violently. Soubi's apartment would be too easy a target. Besides, he didn't want to be surrounded by Soubi's things, by his sent, by anything that would remind Ritsuka of the older man.

"Ne, Ji-chan…I don't think everything's alright with Loveless here…" Natsuo said.

"You know, Tsuo-chan, I think you're right."

"Stop talking about me as if I wasn't here!" Ritsuka said. He shook his head. "I-I need to go."

Natsuo moved quickly to Ritsuka's side and put an arm around his shoulders. "I don't think so Loveless. Why don't you come back to Soubi's place with us and tell us what's going on?"

Ritsuka tried to push the Fighter off of him. He almost succeeded but for Youji's interference. The blue-haired boy came up on Ritsuka's other side and slung an arm across Ritsuka's shoulders.

"Let me go," Ritsuka whispered.

"Not happening, Loveless. You look a mess."

"What happened to your cheek?"

Ritsuka shook his head and refused to speak. Unwillingly, he was pulled along by the two other boys. They chattered along as if Ritsuka were speaking to them.

Why were they doing this? Would Seimei go to Soubi's apartment? It seemed a logical place for him to go.

Soubi was punishing himself so that Ritsuka could escape.

Ritsuka couldn't go to a place that might put him in danger. That would make Soubi's sacrifice futile.

Sacrifice.

That was him. Not Soubi.

He felt like crying.

"Natsuo, Youji. Not the apartment. Please. I'll talk to you, but not there." Ritsuka's voice was soft.

The two boys looked at each other, clearly puzzled.

"Sure. There's a coffee shop up the road where we can grab some food." Youji sounded puzzled.

The two boys dropped their arms from Ritsuka's shoulders. They seemed ready to pounce on Ritsuka if he tried to run again.

"You don't want to see Soubi?" Natsuo asked.

Ritsuka shook his head. "I'll explain…"

That was how Ritsuka found himself, not a half-hour later, with a half-eaten doughnut and half-full cup of hot coco crying into Natsuo's arms while Youji stroked his back. He hadn't gotten more than a few words into his story before collapsing into tears, letting all the stress of the past day out into Natsuo's comforting arms. Gradually, through the tears, Ritsuka had shared the rest of it.

It felt so much better to cry when someone was holding you than doing it alone.

"No wonder Soubi didn't have two words for us this morning," Natsuo whispered.

"Y-you saw him this morning?" Ritsuka asked. He pulled away and wiped his sleeve across his face. He was sandwiched between the two boys in a booth by the window of he coffee shop.

To his right, Youji nodded. "Sure. He came in as we were getting ready for school, looking like Death himself. You know?"

Ritsuka shrugged.

"I've never seen him look like that before," Natsuo continued. "We figured it had something to do with you…"

"Then we saw you running on our way from school…"

"Earless…"

"And we knew something had to be up."

Ritsuka nodded. He picked up his cup and took a sip of the coco. It wasn't really hot now. More like luke-warm. It still felt good against his tight, raw throat.

"Huh. So Seimei's not dead after all. I wonder if the other instructors know?" Youji asked.

Ritsuka shrugged. "How much did the two of you know?" he asked.

"Most of it. Not that Seimei was alive. About you, of course. You're a legend at the Seven Moons," Natsuo said.

"I am?"

Natsuo nodded. "One of the instructors probably would have tried to claim you as a student, but Soubi-san got to you first and no one wanted to challenge him."

"Or could," Youji continued. "Breathless tried."

Ritsuka shrugged. Right now, he almost wished someone had taken him from Soubi. It would be less painful.

"Ne, Loveless, do you know how to cast spells?" Youji asked. "Soubi-san hasn't taught you anything, right?"

Ritsuka nodded.

"You may need to know how soon…right Natsuo?"

Natsuo nodded. "Yeah. You may. We should teach you."

Ritsuka looked from one to the other.

"Trust us, Loveless. We owe Soubi-san a lot. Keeping you safe would only begin to repay that debt," Youji said.

Ritsuka nodded hesitantly.

Natsuo laid a hand on his arm. He looked across at Youji. "Where should we take Loveless? His house isn't safe. Neither is Soubi-san's house."

"Kio's house?" Youji asked.

"Wait…" Ritsuka trailed off before he protested too much. They were right. He hadn't run home because he couldn't.

"Its settled then," Natsuo continued, ignoring Ritsuka's shortened protest. "Kio's apartment. We won't give him a choice in the matter."

Youji nodded. He slid out from the seat and held his hand out to Ritsuka. Ritsuka took it, feeling glad that he wasn't on his own. At least, not right now.

Natsuo and Youji led him towards Kio's house in silence, letting Ritsuka organize his thoughts.

Ritsuka wished he hadn't thrown the cell phone away, that he had let himself some way to contact Soubi. He wanted to apologize, to explain why he hadn't answered the cell.

Most of all, he wanted Soubi.

A/N: Well, that was the easiest chapter I have ever written in my life. By the way, I'm taking some liberties with Natsuo and Youji, since I don't know their age and I can't remember what they call each other at the moment, even though I just watched that episode. And did you all know that the soundtrack uses French? (At least, that's what it sounds like to me)

Teldra: I figured after "strengthening their connection" like they did, a little telepathy isn't impossible.

-Phaenilix RM-: Yeah, I thought Yuiko would have bigger reaction to. Perhaps she is and just isn't telling us yet? Hmm…I do like her though…

TheSilentSenshi: I believe we'll see more of Seimei's reaction later to Soubi's disobedience. Next chapter I'm thinking…

Baka-chan: I like your name for one thing . Glad you like the story.

Noone: Hmm…so many questions…I think Seimei might already know that Soubi told Ritsuka to run and yes, Soubi is going to be punished.

Nikkler: Well, I have ideas floating around in my head for Soubi's punishment, but we'll see what I actually write in the next chapter. These things have a way of running away from me.