write date: 10-19; 10-29
rushes in* Sorry, so sorry for the delayed chapter, life's been quite full these weeks: upcoming tryout exams, practising for a school play, that's this friday and got sick at the end of the week...
Okay, what can I say, this chapter's more of a calm before the storm. And figured to make a small recap on Ritsuka, so you'd and me, myself, remember some facts (ch2 and ch3) that will be elaborated later. And last but not least, thank you for the lovely reviews Dlbn and Halbarath it means a lot!
Dlbn: Thank you! Yep, Ritsuka's back and very much alive. And Ritsu... Yea I'm gonna put him through a lot.
Halbarath: Another fake death? Well... Kind of, no... Don't wanna spoil, everything will be solved in time and pretty soon :) arigato!
/ RECAP: Ritsuka is believed to be dead, killed by a pair of murderers who then went after Soubi, luckily the man escaped... "He devourd Ritsuka, Ritsuka's gone."-Soubi. /
-X-X-X-
Chapter 7: a celebration sounds great!
"It's Aoyagi Ritsuka."
Soubi stared, not believing his ears. About a whole silent minute past when he finally comprehended the meaning of the shocking sentence, that left him frozen. The blonde jumped out of bed nearly falling with the first step. The nurse ordered him to get back to bed, reaching for Soubi to help him get up.
The golden haired male just shoved her hand away, dizzily getting back on his feet and stumbling out of the nursery.
It's Aoyagi Ritsuka. The name echoed in his head as he leaned his palm on the wall.Aoyagi Ritsuka. How? How can it be possible, Soubi was certain that his beloved sacrifice had been murdered. How?...Was this just a mistake, a joke?
Soubi still could not believe his ears making scenarios of what the words Aoyagi Ritsuka trully meant until...
"R.Rits...uka." The utterance escaped his lips, accompanied by tears swelling up.
The dark haired teenager stood right outside the infirmary dressed with a crimson red sweater and black jeans, looking through the window. He turned to Soubi tooken by surprise, as the man couldn't hold the tears any longer.
"Soubi." he ran to him with outsreched arms."Why did you leave me? I thought something bad happened to you?"
"Ritsuka..." Soubi murmured nearly falling, when the boy crushed into him looping his arms and trembling in the embrace.
"Nice reunion wouldn't you say Soubi-san?" A well known voice cracked in the halls, with a tapping sound. Soubi side-glanced noticing Kunugi Takehito The older male wore his shoulder length hair in a low ponytail, the ash colored strands fell on his face, slightly hiding an earring below his right eye. The man had a rope tightly looped around his neck and a knee length dark grey coat covered his shoulders, with a sand colored shirt underneath.
"Takehito-san." Soubi nodded greeting not able to grit anything more.
"And you must be Aoyagi Ritsuka?" Takehito leaned to catch eyecontact with the child smiling warmly. Soubi intensed." I have to say you're a bad sacrifice!" He lectured, while pointing a finger at the scared boy, who looked at if it was on fire.
"Abandoning your fighter that way. Bad indeed. Uh hahaha. Take a joke Ritsuka-kun I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" He chuckled, suddenly rusteling Ritsuka's hair...
"Ah excuse me..." The teenager tightened his grip on Soubi."Who are you?"
"Call me Takehito. Member of Septimal Moon." He announced laying his hand on Ritsuka's head again. Soubi of course dissaproved this affection, the creep was giving to his lover, but he tried to remain calm, however every bone in his body itched to punch the middle aged man.
"Now I assume you'll be staying here for a while, to be with Soubi until he recovers?" Ritsuka nodded, as Kunugi dragged his feet further in nearly a dancing manner. Suddenly he held out a key from his pocket, spinning it by the key hold yet again.
" If that's the case I can grant you a dorm to stay in. And don't bother it will not be a nuisance at all." He waved his hand reaching for the staircase and spinning his shoes so the dark haired male would be facing the stairs." You can stay there for as long as you'd need. Come I'll show it to you."
"Thank you really much sir!" Ritsuka cheered up, keeping his small warm hand intangled in Soubi's.
"Sorry didn't caught that." Kunugi turned around ceasing to reel the bunch of keys that caused quite a jangle, he grinned"Could you repeat?"
"I... I just thanked you."
"Ohh, I see, I see!" The temporary headmaster rubbed his chin still causing a racket with the keys.
"By the way how are you feeling Soubi-san? You're so silent in the back there, I thought you bit a fly or something. Actually not releasing a sound for as long as we kept walking... must be tons of flies you swallowed. Ne?"
Ritsuka snickered as they finished the stairs. The blond crossed his hands on his chest. Soon his eyes shot open, spotting the dorm they were going to stay in. No number...
"Wait, Takehito-san," Soubi called out embarrased as the the middle aged companion unlocked the door." This is Ritsu-sensei's."
"Uhh, someone has a sharp eye, I think the doctors messed up your diagnose. It's far for you to be in need of glasses." Kunugi chuckled, then opened the door wide permitting them entrance. He bowed dramatically motioning his arm to the room. "From now this is your room, but please keep it clean. I believe Minami-san wouldn't like that after his rehabilitation's finished."
"Minami-san? Ritsu-sensei?" Ritsuka restated confused." What happened to him?"
"We'll talk later."Soubi quickly cut his intrest short. Not wanting to talk about it. The more he unconsciously remembered his former teacher, the guilt rotting in his heart twinged harder. He couldn't comprehend any other meaning of the guilt. Except if Soubi had been the one to stab him. That would make sense of those unprofessional injuries. Sure Soubi had severly injured a few teams on Seimei's command but that had been done by spells, Those had been stab wounds decorating his sensei.
Even more fear was brought by his distincted memories. That might come back staying in that room. As he recalled, Soubi slept with the bastard...
"Kunugi!"
"Ta-ke-hi-to." he spelled with a calm voice not facing them "Seriously get it right for once in your life, this is not complex algebra!"
"Okay, got it. Talehito-san..." Soubi nodded, as Ritsuka slipped into the room." Why are we suppose to stay in sensei's room? Aren't their any other dorms?"
"For your information there aren't. It's the middle of the school year. And students are flooding back and forth."
"You mean there aren't any free dorms at all?"
"No. Sorry this is the last opportunity." He pointed out."Now if you have anything else to say, I'll hear it out later if you'd be so kind. I'm hungry, my stomach's grumbling. Need breakfast!" Soubi rolled his eyes."You can accompany me if you'd like."
"No thank you," Soubi obliged."I need to catch up with Ritsuka."
"Ah I see, I see!" The dark haired male mumbled, keeping his hands in the dark grey coat of his.
When the blonde entered sensei's dorm. He noticed the front room still being the small luxurious style guest room and a wall dividing it and the kitchenette. He sighed-typical. His sensei's intelligent taste hasn't changed one bit. The two other rooms were a tiny bedroom and a bathroom.
Soubi followed Ritsuka into Ritsu's sleeping quarters. He needed to change the uncomfortable hospital gown anyway, sensei won't mind if the blond's going to borrow some clothings.
"So why have you ran away from me?" Ritsuka muttered as soon as his lover entered with a shocked face.
"Gomennasai." Soubi replied silently turning his head away in shame.
"I'm not asking for an apology." Ritsuka grumbled sitting on the floor his back leaned at the bed, knees pulled up to his small chest and arms folded hiding his mouth beneath them."Why?"
"Ritsuka..." Soubi cut off, opening the ash colored sliding door of the closet in search of something to wear.
"It's not like I wanted to abandon you."
"Mhm." The boy blurted sarcastically clearly inraged.
"I'm serious."
"Sure you are..." Ritsuka hissed, gripping his shoulders harder." And I believed you changed." He began stammering, swallowing his tears."That you would not lie to me anymore. Why Soubi... Do.. do you realise what pain you put me through? I searched for you everywhere with no clues. Kio was worried sick too. I.. I thought you left me for Seimei."
"I would... never do that..." The man managed to utter quivering. "Of cource I won't lie. My reason for leaving you was rather childish."
"Well what was it?"
Soubi stayed quiet for a minute rummaging through the closet and getting out a plain white buttoned down shirt. He was afraid to speak up. More to say ashamed for his sudden departure. What got into him? Why all of a sudden he thought that Ritsuka was killed and the murderers came after him? When he recollected his thoughts Soubi noticed how foolish the reason truly was. If something like that had likely to happen Soubi had to lay his life, fighting to protect him or to revenge. Why the hell did the blond got scared feet running without a fight?
"I thought... I thought you were dead. Had nowhere else to go..." Soubi murmured droping the shirt on the bed.
"What? That's ridiculious!"
"I'm not lying." Soubi frowned, sliding the gown up. Right at that point he saw his mysteriously abused, scared body once again. He froze. If the assaulters were his imagination...
Then what in the hell caused this...
"I'm not lying. Something did happen."
"What?"
"Turn around." Soubi said firmly, that was nearly an order. Ritsuka listened spinning around and putting his palms on the soft sheets. He gasped in fear seeing Soubi's bruises.
"Wha... who... who did this to you?"
"I don't know myself anymore. At first I believed I had been tortured by the killers." The blond paused, as Ritsuka's face flooded in tears." But now... I'm not really sure."
Ritsuka cleaned his eyes with the fabric of his slipover. The boy lifted himself up, walking to Soubi while keeping his tearstained eyes to the ground.
Soubi felt a tight embrace, as his lover looped his hands on the older male sobbing slightly.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so ,so sorry." Soubi tangled his fingers in Ritsuka's dark hair reeling the strands around his forefingers. Ritsuka stammered further." I don't understand, I don't remember anything beside your sudden leave... I never knew someone was after you!"
"Well that's probably the most logical explanation. In truth, my head won't allow me to recall anything else either."
"So how much you remember?" Ritsuka asked with a worried voice.
"About everything except 2 or 3 former months."
"What if... what if their going to come after you again Soubi..." Ritsuka raised his head, seeing Soubi's face curl in pain and a grumble emitting from his shut mouth. The fourteen-year-old's hands trembled, as he whispered, still staring at his boyfriend."I'm scared."
" I'll protect you even if I have to lay my life."
"No don't I don't want to see you dead... It would hurt... Soubi we're in this mess together do you understand?" Soubi mumbled in confusion." We'll fight together to the very end. Got it? If those sadists show up, we will not fall, we'll survive."
The blond looked at Ritsuka's determined face, then tilted his head up with his thumb drawing closer.
"Okay, for now lets put this incident and the unreliated memories aside." he whispered calmly brushing his lips with Ritsuka's as the latter kissed Soubi back."How is your schoolwork?"
"Schoolwork?" Ritsuka sighed blushing."I don't want to talk about it in this position. Can we just...?"
"We can do whatever you want." Soubi masaged his cheeks in slow circles "Just tell me what you desire."
Ritsuka playfully put his hands on Soubi's collar bringing him close so the adolescent could feel his breath coming down. Soubi chuckled at Ritsuka's actions kissing him, as the boy clutched his back, feeling rather powerless against the older man. Ritsuka began gasping for air though..
"Now will you talk?" Soubi jerked back breathlessly after a moment.
"Fine." The dark haired teenager gave in."I got a hundred points from geography test.
"That's wonderful." Soubi quickly saw anxiousness in Ritsuka's eyes and the whirling of his tail. It was obvious-he was hiding something. Ritsuka wasn't a good liar... a terible one at that.
"Anything else?" Soubi smirked slowly raising up, as Ritsuka's cat ears fell on his head.
"Fifty points from math..."
"Not really good, if you didn't understood I'll make sure to teach you." Soubi touched the sadened boy's cheek again."Don't look so down."
"Fine. Thank's." Ritsuka's hands fell from the embrace, his face still red. The fourteen year old whirled around, blushing from the fact of hugging a half naked Soubi.
"You should dress up, you'll catch a cold."
The day went by faster then they imagined. Most of the time Soubi and Ritsuka reminisced about the good times, laughing at the pranks the Zero boys had done to Kio, or fooled Ritsuka himself.
In the evening, they heard a knock on the front door. Though before they could check... It swung wide open. The intruders were Nagisa and Nana, the latter held a cake.
"Heard the news from Takehito!" Nana snickered lightheartedly."And since I've got some information from a certain someone," She leaned at Nagisa's side, who flushed, fidgiting with her black painted nails." That Soubi-san was rather down the weather before Ritsuka's arrival, thought we could celebrate."
"Down the weather?" Ritsuka tilted his eyebrow, standing infront of them.
Soubi, in the back, knew perfectly well what Nana had in mind. Nagisa seemingly told her about Soubi's sadness and suicidal attempts, he was likely planning. The man had opened up a bit too much of his heart to the woman, he quite hated. But ,hey, had to help Nagisa deal with the trauma of Ritsu being in rehabilitation. However the fighter hadn't expected her to gossip his secrets to Nana...
"It's over now." he responded with no emotions in his voice, hoping that the two female's won't get Ritsuka involved.
"So... Can we come in?" The blond haired programmer took a step further.
"Of cource. A celebration sounds great!" Ritsuka beemed.
"It feels rather wierd being in Ritsu's quarters without him actually here. But oh well." Nana shrugged, putting the cake on the table, as Ritsuka went to the cupboards in the kitchenette in search of plates and forks.
Soubi sighed, slowly striding closer to Nagisa, who stood like a statue, still looking as a zombie, with the black circles under her eyes and pale skin.
"How are you feeling? Slept well?" Soubi asked out of politness, though didn't care too much, now that Ritsuka was back.
"Yes thank you."
"Come on inside, you should eat something." Soubi motioned to the inside of Ritsu's headquarters.
"But if I'll eat that calory filled cake I'll gain weight." Nagisa murmured pouting her lips like a whiny child. And Soubi thought children were an endurable disease, here you have an even bigger contamination.
"I think it would be good for you." Soubi shot back extending his arm to her."Come on, don't be a spoiled brat!"
As Ritsuka boiled the water for tea, Nana chopped the cake, putting it into luxurious looking plates. She turned around to her friend.
"Hey Nagisa-tan what piece of cake do you want?"
"Smaller."
"Make it the largest of all!"Soubi interupted, as Nana laughed at that and Nagisa grumbled.
"It's your fault if I'll gain pounds." The scientist warned.
"Whatever." Soubi smirked, changing the matter at hand."Ritsuka how's the tea? Need any help?"
"Sheesh, I can do it by myself!" The dark haired boy spat out from the kitchenette"I'm not a child anymore!"
"Oh and the teacups are in the drawer left from the stove."
"Got it, thank's!"
Nagisa raised her eyebrow, emitting a grumble of surprise. She leaned to Soubi's side.
"How do you know, where Ritsu keeps his kitchen utensils anyway?"
"I lived with him, remember?"Soubi didn't took a moment to respond with no emotions. He didn't wanted to remember those days."Some things in here stayed the same way, in the same place for over a decade. Nothing really changed from then."
He glanced around nostalgically for reasuring himself. Nothing changed: nor the rooms, nor the dreary atmosphere it welcomed. The owner probably hadn't altered as well as his belongings...
Soubi sighed, closing his eyes, trying to live in the present not some bad dream of the past.
Suddenly he felt someone's stare at him.
The man side-glanced to Nagisa's direction warily. Their gazes met.
Soubi's blue pupils showed disarray, while Nagisa's sparkled with strong adoration, fondness, lust... yearning for someone...Although darting as arrows at him...
Soubi lost his words, when he parted his lips that let out a wail. The man just walked into the kitchenette, with sweat coming down his face.
Neither of them spoke to each other for the rest of the night...
Soubi knew something started and it had to end, there was no telling what damage could be done, if Nagisa's affection was let to bloom.
She had Ritsu, she was suppose to love Ritsu, look at Ritsu with those lustful eyes. Not Soubi... Damn, this was so wrong... She must never have feelings for Agatsuma.
Though the mistake had been done, the hands of the clock were set in motion, to the twisted future awaiting...