So this is love – Chapter 3: My heart has wings and I can fly

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A/N: Thanks to all the people who reviewed in the past chapters!  School's been a real btch so I'm having a hard time trying to find for my studies and for my uhh… extra stuff. :D Anyways, thanks a bunch to all of you for the cookies and pies… lolz.

Summary: Ritsuka and Soubi have been in love with each other for a long time, each passing event holding their bond together even stronger. But something disturbs Ritsuka that makes him suspicious… SxR, Yaoi, Shounen-ai

!DISCLAIMER!

Loveless© does not belong to me! (Too bad XD) …Besides, if it did, I'd make every scene of the whole show with Soubi and Ritsuka in bed. : P

!WARNINGS!

Yaoi, shounen-ai, male pairings, homosexuality, etc… need I say more: 3

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

….oO0Oo….

"WHAT?!"

There was a ringing shrill in the air, especially at the ice-cream and snacks place near the Reptile section of the zoo. People and their children turned their heads to the multi-pierced stranger who, at a split-second, turned his head quickly and hiding his face, trying not to be the center of attention while his seatmate was just as quiet and calm, innocently drinking his smoothie.

Dost my ears deceive me? Kio thought, the feeling of shock ran down his spine again. He took a glimpse at the young neko beside him… It's not like I've never heard of a couple fight, but… It's Soubi and Ritsuka, it's not like they haven't had a fight before, either, but this was a big fight for them. No wonder Soubi wasn't in the mood for jokes that other day...

"…Has Soubi talked about me these few days?" Ritsuka's voice broke Kio's own thoughts; he shook his head to get back to reality fully.

"Hmmm…" Kio let his head sit on his hand for a moment or two, and then he remembered Soubi saying something not even a week ago…

'…It's nothing. Ritsuka and I are just fighting again, it's no big deal."

'That Aoyagi brat again? Oh come on, you already had enough of his brother, now him?'

POW! A hit on the face, pain, a probability of a bruise quickly forming.

'OW!!! That hurt, Soubi! Why the hell did you just hit me for?!'

'…get back to work, Kio.'

'Soubi—'

'I said to get back to work…'

"Oh yeah, he did mention a hit or two…" Kio rubbed his right cheek. That jerk…

"A hit?" Ritsuka turned his head to the older man.

"Err… I mean, he was mentioning about a fight with you two again and when I tried to ask him more about it he totally wanted me to stop…" Kio took a sip from his own strawberry smoothie, pouting like a child.

"…Oh…" Ritsuka crossed his hands on the table and buried his head in it.

"Why don't you talk to your psychiatrist about this? I'm sure she's more experienced—"

"—oh yeah, sure, I could just tell her I'm having a strange master-slave relationship with an older man who could cast spells using mere words and, oh, guess what? He's using me as his fulfillment of pleasure, I'm a replacement for my Onii-san…" the last words made his voice sound like he's about to cry. Kio could hear the little one sniffing, his shoulders shifting, trying to mask the pain but couldn't...

"Hey, hey, Ritsuka-kun…" Kio said, trying to stop him from crying, patting his back, "—Look, I dunno about him casting spells using words or anything…" in his mind, he's raising an eyebrow. It's probably the ice cream; the kid's probably having a brain freeze… "…But there are a whole lot of jerks out there who could hurt you even more. Heck, take it from me! Just live life to the fullest! Come on, Ritsuka, let's go see the giant tortoise right now!" he finished himself with a broad smile.

Ritsuka sniffed, he wiped his eyes using his long sleeve and stared at Kio for a moment or two. Giving off a slight smile with some hope left in it, he nodded and they went off to see the big tortoise.

While not so far away in the zoo, a certain Fighter was researching on big cats for his own college purposes. He glanced to his left and just before they disappeared, saw a small part of Ritsuka and… Kio? Together? He placed his pad of paper and pencil away in his shoulder bag and paced towards the direction where he last saw Ritsuka and Kio.

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"How badly do you wanna ride on that turtle's back?" Kio said, smiling like a toddler, daydreaming away of how it would've been if he were to ride on a giant turtle's back, out on the ocean.

Ritsuka, on the other hand, had other things to think about. Something in the back of his mind tingled him and he couldn't help but feel Soubi's presence.

"Hey, hey!" Kio said, poking the little one's forehead, waking him from his thoughts.

"…Huh?"

"Honestly, Ritsuka, how do you expect to feel better if you think too much all the time?"

"Yeah, you're right Kio-san… I shouldn't think too much…" Ritsuka said, turning his head to a direction he felt the coldest stare from.

An incredibly painful wave ran through the Sacrifice's spine when he saw his Fighter glaring abhorrently at either him or Kio. His eyes scream an angry 'What are you doing here with Kio?', yet his aura sneaked a small hint of sadness.

At the same moment, Ritsuka turned away instantly. Soubi… He's here… He wasn't supposed to be here… Soubi… I…

"Oi, Ritsuka-kun!" a caring voice pierced through his thoughts, "You look like you just saw a ghost, you okay, man?" Kio's warm hand against his cold forehead, a cold break of sweat spread across from his temples down to his cheeks. Ritsuka's hand shifted Kio's arm away.

"I'm alright… It was just the heat, I'll be in the bathroom, Kio-san…" he said, going to the bathroom just a few meters away from where they were.

A cold splash on his face… Deep breaths… Take it easy… Ritsuka looked up from the sink. Kio-san's right… I'm thinking too deeply about this… he thought as he splashed on his face again with the refreshing water. He felt tight in the comfort room, there was no one else there, and the air was humid, cold and harsh. He wanted to leave already. Just when he reached out to grab a tissue paper, he felt a soft, furry, and very familiar velvet-like coat.

He jumped back, a sudden worry leveled throughout his body, his temperature rising to the limits; sweat beads suddenly forming at his temples. …Soubi… What was he going to do or say to the person he loved? What the fuck was he doing there in the first place?

"Good afternoon, Ritsuka-kun…" Soubi smiled, which only made Ritsuka hate him more. He hated that wide grin; it was so fake, so plastic, so much like him… Soubi reached out to try to touch his cheek, but Ritsuka backed away from him. "…Ritsuka-kun…"

"Shut up, Soubi… What are you doing here?! I thought I ordered you not to come near me again."

"Alas, my love, I am here on college work, I cannot avoid that—"

"—I AM NOT YOUR LOVE, OKAY?" Ritsuka turned his face away in anger, his hands clenched into white fists, "Would you just stop screwing around with my mind already???" he felt like his head was to erupt any moment now.

"Why?"

Ritsuka turned back to Soubi, a concerned face masking over his own, "Why do you keep avoiding me like this? I do love y—"

"—NO. No, you don't… You love my brother." Ritsuka said with a small crackle in his voice. No, not now… I don't want to cry… in front of you at least. He started to massage his forehead to calm himself down, his head was down and his eyes staring at nothing but the damp tiles of the comfort room.

Then he came up with a plan. I'll show you, Soubi… Inside his mind he started laughing wickedly. He slowly lifted up his head, with a veil of a straight, confused face covering his true intentions. He flipped back his bangs, and then showed a wicked smile.

Soubi's face showed a somehow distant hope. He's smiling… It's been such a long time since I've seen his smile, but this isn't like his own smile… This… doesn't seem… good… at all.

"…I have to go back now, Soubi" he said coolly, "I wouldn't want to keep my date waiting too long…" he turned his heel and started to stride back.

"—D-date?"

Ritsuka turned back. "…Yeah, what do you think I said?" then he flashed a cruel smile, something that would seem to torture Soubi the next few nights. Then he walked out of the male's comfort room.

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Still waiting at the Giant turtle section, an amazed Kio still stood there while they were feeding the huge giant. He heard light footsteps running to his direction. He turned to see it was Ritsuka, looking more than happy for some reason.

"Hey, Ritsuka-ku—!!"

The younger one then jumped up and hugged him tightly.

"…Uhh, Ritsuka-kun…?" Kio said, looking confused and somehow relieved that his companion seems a lot better—a LOT better than he expected. Scratching the back of his head, he smiled than laughed a little because of that relief. Something Ritsuka was expecting he might've done…

"I'm sorry for making you wait…" he looked up and shined bright, smiling like that.

"Oh no, it's alright…"

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Soubi just stood there in the doorway of the comfort room. He took out a cigarette and lit it, and with that he started one of his smoking sessions again. …What are you planning now, Ritsuka? This isn't funny…

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Ritsuka turned to see if his Fighter was looking at them. He smiled wickedly again. It was all going according to plan.

…Oh I hate you so much, Soubi…

….oO0Oo….

A/N: I'm sorry for not doing this any faster, but school's been locking me up for so long. cries Training's been a hassle, exams just finished and I still have projects to finish… looks at lists Nope, no time for relaxing for me. LOLZ, yeah right. : P

Anyways, thanks a bunch for all those who alerted and reviewed and read this: 3 You've no idea how much it means for me to have people read this. Ooh, thanks for all the "cookies" and the "pies" you guys given me. ;;;

I'll work harder for you guys, promise! XD