Disclaimer: Squishy and I do not own Loveless or Inuyasha… even though we wish we did. But they belong to their rightful creators and distributors.

AN: Due to not being able to get in touch with Death By Squishy and seeing that this is not really going anywhere, I asked Squish through email about continuing this fic on my own or at least until she can get online so we can discuss the fic through Yahoo IM.

So until then, I'll be writing this fic by myself. I hope that everyone will forgive us for not updating this recently. I also hope that you enjoy this chapter.

And also, I'M SOO Sorry this hadn't been updated in so long!

Chapter Two

Close to the end of class, Kagome got so caught up in her work that she didn't feel someone behind her looking over her shoulder. She was working on a draft sketch for her final piece for the class project, which was to paint something from a photo or something realistic into a classic Japanese styled painting.

The young miko chose a photo of her, Seimei, and Ritsuka when they went to a festival dressed in traditional summer yukatas.

A classmate of hers, who was behind her, was surprised by her skill in drawing something that looked really close to real Japanese Art. But what Soubi was shocked about was that this girl was drawing his previous master, Seimei. And his said master was holding Kagome lovingly while resting an arm around the shoulders of a boy who almost looked like him.

Soubi concluded that it was Seimei's younger brother, Ritsuka. The boy who would be his next master… his new sacrifice.

Seeing that his new cute classmate was really caught up in her work and didn't seem to hear to the bell for their dismissal, Soubi tapped her on the shoulder, gaining a surprised gasped as she turned to him, her cat ears sticking up with her eyes.

When she noticed who was behind her, Kagome sighed in relief while resting a hand over her almost racing heart. The sandy blond man chuckled, "I'm sorry I startled you but, the bell for dismissal had already rung."

The miko looked to the clock that hung above the blackboard and gasped, "Shoot! I'm gonna be late!" She started to gather her things while carefully rolling up her draft sketch, "Thank you for telling me the time. I was so caught up in finishing that I lost track of time."

"It's alright. I know the feeling." Soubi smiled, can't help but think how cute she looked in her hurried state.

As she raced to the door, Kagome yelled out another thank you before she was stopped by her Fighter Unit, "Wait, Kagome! We have to take care of something before you do anything else!"

The miko/sacrifice came to a screeching halt before turning to her friend, looking like someone had stepped on her tail, "What?! But I told him that I would meet him right after his school got out!"

"I'm sure you did but we still have to take care of it." Kio said with an underlying note.

He and Kagome may be sacrifice and Fighter Unit but they were considered… well… mysterious so to speak. Their name, Purity was well known but no one knew what they looked like. Not to mention other sought them out just to gain a title of their selves in saying they defeated them.

(Squishy and I thought of Soulless but since I think DeathNoteMaker might use that, I decided to change it to Purity)

Kagome almost made a snort before saying, "all right, all right. Let's get this over with."

Once Kio had gathered his things, he walked with a pouting Kagome out the door.

Soubi smirked a little at the picture before noticing that his new classmate had forgotten the photo she was drawing from. After taking a better look at it, he took it from its place and slid it into his pocket for safekeeping until he saw her again.

But for now, he had a new master to meet with.

XoXoXoXoXoXo

The first day for Ritsuka passed quickly with most of the class thinking that he was some sort of delinquent because he made one of the girls… Yuiko cry by just stating what he thought about people who took orders without question by those who they believed were their friends.

Even after he made her cry, she still tried to make friends with him but in return her 'friends' started to get upset with her and started to treat her like an outcast because she was starting to act on her free will.

Once school was over, she asked him if he wanted to walk home together. Chain of events then occurred after Yuiko made a naïve comment about him having a double life or split personality before he ran off, leaving her confused. The entire way, he just wanted Kagome to be there for him, holding him her arms like she always did when he needed it. But as he ran out the front gate someone grabbed his arm, asking why he was crying.

(I'm writing this while at my mother's reading the manga from MangaFox- Translated by someone other than TokyoPOP. My copies of the manga are at home.)

The man called himself Soubi, saying he was a friend of his brother, Seimei. Ritsuka was excited to meet him, especially when his brother never told him about him. He also wondered if Kagome knew him.

The two of them, on Ritsuka's request, made memories in the park- taking pictures. After that, a lot of things just happened too fast.

First, Soubi kissed him after he said that he wouldn't do anything to him, then there were these weirdoes demanding that Ritsuka go with them before demanding a fight with Soubi. The fight was overwhelming yet confusing because Ritsuka didn't know who was friend or foe, along with the fact of Soubi somehow having a connection with his brother- seeing that the older male had 'Beloved' etched on his neck, under the bandages. The entire event made him want to yell out for his sister-figure but before he knew it, the two who were fighting Soubi were gone, vanished in a gust of leaves.

Later, after the older male set him on his feet, Soubi disappeared without explaining what had just happened.

Now, he was in his room, finishing up the photo printouts he promised to make for Soubi. Once they were done printing, Ristuka sighed while shutting the computer off. Looking to the clock on his nightstand, he noticed the time. It was almost time for dinner but he didn't hear or smell anything from the kitchen.

He hoped that Kagome would come home soon and with something good to eat. It wasn't that he hated his mother's cooking; it was because she wanted him to eat things that the old Ritsuka ate and was always watching him with a sharp eye. With Kagome, whenever she brought something home from a restaurant or cooked something homemade, his sister-figure never judged him. She only hoped that he liked what she bought or cooked.

The boy smiled faintly, remembering the times when Kagome cooked something for him and Seimei and how his brother always made jokes about how Kagome would make a lovely wife for him. His comments always made Ritsuka laugh while Kagome would blush uncontrollably.

Ritsuka, now that he looked back, always felt that Kagome and his brother made a good couple. The two of them were so close and Kagome was always so nice. Deep down, Ritsuka felt that his brother and Kagome loved each other, even though they never told each other. Kagome always seemed too hesitant to tell Seimei while Seimei knew of her feelings and seemed to be waiting for her to confess.

His thoughts were cut short when he heard Kagome's voice from downstairs, "Tadaima! And I brought ingredients for Hayashi rice!"

Ritsuka grinned. He loved Kagome's Hayashi rice! Getting up from his seat, Ritsuka made his way out the door and down the stairs quietly. Halfway down, he noticed his father and mother were dressed semi-casually and were facing Kagome.

"Kagome-kun, Misaki and I are going out. So it will just be the two of you tonight." Ristuka's father said.

As Kagome walked in through the front door, Mr. Aoyagi and Misaki were in front of her, dressed up like they were going out. When Mr. Aoyagi told her, she made a side-glance to her wife; Ristuka's mother. She stiffened a bit in anxiety.

The miko knew that the woman was afraid of her, especially when she caught the older woman trying to hurt Ritsuka many times when she was with Ritsuka or Seimei. Sometime after Seimei's death and after the miko moved into the Aoyagi house, Misaki was almost about to beat Ritsuka within an inch of his life. Her husband tried to stop her but was too much of a coward to hold her back, for fear of harming her. When Kagome had enough, she couldn't control her anger and pulled the older woman away from Ritsuka and almost threw her against the wall.

When she tried to stand up, Kagome grabbed her again and held her to the wall. The anger and killing intent that reflected her eyes and the air around her was enough to scare Misaki and her husband shock still. Once Kagome was sure that she had her attention, she growled to her, threatening to take Ritsuka away or killed her if she ever harmed a hair on Ritsuka again. And she swore it to the older woman.

Ever since she first found out that Misaki abused Ritsuka, Kagome started to despise the woman and just thought of her insane. Misaki's outbursts and abuse toward Ritsuka was the greatest reason why she promised Seimei that she would move into the Aoyagi house and take care of Ritsuka. Not just because he asked her to do so.

"Alright, that's fine. I had only bought enough to make dinner for me and Ritsuka anyway." Kagome's almost cold reply made the man's eyes seem pained before he nodded saying that he and Misaki wouldn't be back until late. Kagome didn't have anything against Ritsuka's father. He was a nice man but he was sort of cowardly when it came to his wife almost hurting Ritsuka. Not to mention that he looked like he was growing tired of his wife's episodes of trying to hurt his son. Despite that he loved his wife… that love was steadily growing thin to the point where he may just up and leave and never come back.

Also, for a short while it seemed that he was growing attracted to the miko but when he caught her alone, Kagome told him that she would never try sleeping with because not only was he Ristuka and Seimei's father, but he was still married to Misaki. And Kagome wasn't the kind of girl who would be sleeping with an older man who was still married. It was also because the miko still loved Seimei, even if he was dead.

Once Ritsuka's parents were gone, Kagome looked to the staircase where Ritsuka was standing and smiled, holding up her bag of ingredients, "Let's have some Hayashi rice, Ritsuka."

The cat-eared boy grinned before reach the foot of the stairs and started getting the things needed for cooking.

Durring dinner, Kagome apologized that she wasn't there to pick him up at the school while Ritsuka forgave her, saying that he went to the park soon after school lit out early since it was a Saturday.

(Japanese students go to school 6 days a week from Monday through Saturday. And Saturday is a half day for them.)

The miko sacrifice then asked, "Did you make any friends?" She wanted to start up a conversation, not really liking the silence but wanting to enjoy her alone time with Ritsuka before his parents came back. A part of her felt that this was how Ritsuka's life should be. Living with her without abuse or fear or anything else he felt while with his mother. If she could, Kagome would take Ritsuka to live with her and her family but with the probability of Misaki calling the police saying that the miko kidnapped her son… Kagome didn't want to try going through that.

She also wanted to make up for not being there at school for him. She and Kio had to fight a Fighter Unit and his Sacrifice who were dead set on being the best and challenged anyone who they came across. They used all sorts of spells that caused flesh wounds but nothing that Kagome couldn't handle or hide. Their fight went on for quite a while… a couple of hours after Ritsuka's school was released. Not to mention she had to buy something to eat for Ritsuka and herself since Misaki might not even cook.

"Not really. This one girl with pigtails bothered me through out the day. Other than that, nothing special really happened during school." Ristuka replied while savoring the taste of Kagome's Hayashi rice with a small smile.

"So what did you do at the park?"

"Made some memories… with an old friend of Seimei's…" Ritsuka wasn't sure if he should tell her what had happened at the park with Soubi… from when the older man kissed him to after the fight with those two kids who call themselves "Breathless".

Kagome's brows furrowed a bit in curiosity, "Anybody that I know?" She was sure that she knew quite a few of Seimei's old friends since she often hung out with him while with them.

Ritsuka shrugged a bit, "He wasn't anyone I knew until today. Do you know anybody by the name of Soubi?"

'Soubi…?' Kagome wondered if the name sounded familiar. She knew she heard that name from somewhere… 'Does Kio know anyone by that name?'

Wanting to make sure, she asked Ritsuka, "What did he look like, Rit-chan? Do you know his surname?"

"Tall, was an adult (no ears or tail), long sandy blond hair, glasses, and had Band-Aids around his neck… and I don't think he gave me his surname."

The description matched the appearance of one of her classmates- Agatsuma, she remembered his name was… and she also remembered Kio talking about a male friend he was interested in by that name…

Kagome shrugged, "He sounds familiar, but I can't really be sure. He might be a classmate of mine."

The miko's second little brother figure than started to ask question about her day. She told him everything except her and Kio's fight after class.

The rest of their night was peaceful. More than anything Ritsuka could ask for. Both he and Kagome wished it could last but it wouldn't after Misaki and her husband came home.

That night, Kagome agreed to stay with Ritsuka for the night. Once the younger boy was asleep, Kagome soon followed with peaceful dreams of her and Seimei. Halfway through the dream, Seimei disappeared, only for a tall shadowed figure to appear with the name "Beloved" scarred on his neck under a thorn vine scar around his neck…

Finished FINALLY! With Squishy's permission, I've started this again on my own but after many times of getting writer's block with this story, I've asked my friend DeathNoteMaker to help me continue this with our other co-authored fics.

Thankfully she agreed since she has a few volumes of the manga. After this, DeathNoteMaker will be typing the next chapter.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! This is my Christmas gift to you guys!

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BTW... here's the reference for the words that are bold:

Tadaima: a greeting, meaing "I'm home!" or "I'm back!"

Hayashi Rice: Thick beef stew on rice. Looks really good.