Of Butterflies And Bumblebees
Chapter 2: Dance
By Ice Lioness
Loveless Fan Fiction
Rating: R (sexual situations)
Status: Chapter 2 of ?? Posted
Couple: Soubi x Ritsuka
Summary: Soubi watches as Ritsuka slowly begins to change from a delicate boy, to a cold blood man and wonders how best to bring back the Ritsuka he fell in love with.
Started: Monday, July 16, 2007 - 21:32
Finished: Monday, July 16, 2007 - 23:59
Disclaimer: I do not own Loveless nor any of its characters. Loveless is property of Tokyopop and Yun Kouga.
(Authors Note)
Ice Lioness: Woohoo! Chapter 2. Progress!
Ritsuka: Meow? Have you never gotten to Chapter 2 before...?
Ice Lioness: Well, yeah... Once...
Ritsuka: Nani?!
Ice Lioness: What can I say... I get distracted and never continue after Chapter 2 but I'm out to make this a completed series with at least ten chapters.
Soubi: That's rather ambitious for you when you consider your record.
Ice Lioness: ...I can change that rating you know...
Soubi: I'll be quiet now.

Of Butterflies And Bumblebees - Chapter 2: Dance
"You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war." - Napoleon Bonaparte

I stood silently outside, leaning against the brick entrance to Ritsuka's school. It's been about three weeks since he found out about Seimei's possible deception. That his elder brother may actually still be alive. Yesterday, I walked him home from school and vowed not to leave his side until he told me what was wrong.

I was thrown from my thoughts by the sound of my name. I saw a flood of students leaving the school, funny, I don't remember hearing the bell. Finally the source of the earlier voice is revealed to me as I spot Yuiko running towards me.

"Soubi-kun! Are you here to pick up Ritsuka-kun?" Yuiko asked me with a large smile spread across her face.

I felt my own lips tugging into a smile, her optimism contagious, "Of course."

Yuiko's ears give a slight twitch, her tail wagging a bit, "Is Ritsuka-kun going to your apartment? He mentioned you just moved. Yuiko wants to see."

"Well, I suppose it will all be up to Ritsuka," I watched her tail wag a little faster and I found her excitement over my new living quarters to be quite adorable.

Yuiko's smile seemed to widen, "Sensei is yelling at him for leaving his text book at home. He'll be a little late."

As I ponder her words a moment I think back to last night, as I sat down at his bedside I felt the tips of my fingers brush what felt like a book that may have been shoved under when Ritsuka dropped his belongings on the floor.

I look down at the younger female, her gaze now focused on the main door about twenty-feet away. Her gaze is soft, one I often recognized on face when she stares at Ritsuka. A part of me feels like I should regard her as a rival. She is close to Ritsuka in ways I don't think I ever will be, not with how things are going now. However, I can't find it in myself to hate the young girl.

Immediately her features seem to brighten and she swings her arm above her head, waving excitedly to someone. I lift my gaze to see my little sacrifice nearing us, hands stuffed in his pockets and his ears drooping lazily. Once he catches sight of me, his mood seems to sour even more so than it already is.

I watch him stop in front of us, deftly focusing on Yuiko's ramblings as he holds my gaze. Pain grips at my heart as I hear him speak, "What are you doing here?"

Keeping my composure, I reply smoothly, my smile still on my lips, "I'm here to walk you home, just as I said I would be."

"Go away. I can take care of myself." With that he turns away, walking in the direction of his home.

I think desperately, looking for a reason, any reason to make him come back, "Well, Yuiko said she wants to see my new apartment and she wants you to come with us. Don't you want to see my new home?"

Without turning, nor stopping he responds with a forceful, monotone, "No."

Yuiko's tail comes to a sudden stop and her ears droop a bit, "But Ritsuka-kun...!"

His response to her is the same as mine was, one simple word, "No."

I give the suddenly gloomy girl a gentle pat on the shoulder, "Another time, all right?"

It takes those few words to brighten her right back up, she looks up at me hopefully, her tail wagging once again, "Really?"

I force the smile to linger just a moment longer, and with a nod and gently turn her in the direction of her home, "Why don't you head on home and maybe tomorrow Ritsuka will be in a better mood."

With a happy nod and a wave good-bye she is gone, running down the sidewalk path towards her home.

Now that she had been taken care of, I look back to Ritsuka, just in time to see him round the corner. Without another thought I head after the boy, several long strides later brings be to roughly a step behind him. He doesn't speak and neither do I.

I watch his ears give their little irritated twitch that I have sadly become used to.

As we reach the front door he stops, pulling out his key. He unlocks the door and opens it, walking through without a word. I follow him in and lock the door behind me. I turn and follow him up the stairs, a few paces behind. He opens his bedroom door and walks inside, slamming it behind him before I have a chance to enter.

I momentarily ponder the idea of welcoming myself into the room and I let my hand drop away from the door knob. I turn and sit down with my back against the door, resigning myself to solitude for the moment.

My thoughts drifted to Ritsuka's behavior. Every day he was becoming more and more like Seimei, and for once in my life I felt the tight grip of fear in my heart. The cold exterior that Seimei demonstrated day in and day out is hardly becoming of Ritsuka, keeping his emotions bottled up if going to tear him apart.

As I sit silently, I have little sense of time as the minutes tick by. I focus on the sounds that occasionally come from Ritsuka's room. The squeak of his chair every time he moves, the sound of his pencil scraping against the paper, his footsteps as he moves about his room and the muttering that gives away his intent: the search for his missing book.

I sit there for what feels like days but I know in actuality is merely hours. Eventually, the scribbling stops, the squeaking comes less and less, and silence seems to blanket the room. As I listen and wait, worry beginning to worm its way into my heart. Just as I'm about to get up and check on my little catboy I hear is renewed footsteps and the sounds of drawers opening and closing.

I hear him move closer to the door and nearly fall backwards as it swings open. Annoyed hiss escapes him, and I know without looking at his face that he is angry, "What are you still doing here?"

I take a moment to compose myself before standing and turning to face the shorter male. His ears are twitching stiffly and his eyebrows are knit together in annoyance. I force down my sorrow at his words and respond with a smile, "I told you yesterday. I wont leave your side until you tell me what is bothering you."

Ritsuka narrows his gaze at me before pushing past me and heading for the bathroom, but this time I don't give him a chance to keep me out. Just as he is about to close the door I shove my arm in the way, allowing me to push back against him.

"Get out!" He starts to back away from me, putting some distance between us.

I close the door behind me, putting my index finger to my lips, "Do you want your mother to hear you?"

He immediately quiets though his annoyance shows through even more, symbolized by the standing hair on his tail. "I told you to get out. Why don't you just leave me alone?!"

I can't help but sigh, either he's ignoring me or he just isn't listening very well. I attempt to near him and wrap him in a hug, as my arms near his body he slaps them away, his clothes and towel nearly falling out of his arms. "I said to leave me alone!"

With no other way to quiet him, I lean in before he has time to react and cover his lips with my own. His eyes go wide and at first he merely stands there before he starts to struggle, shoving me away roughly, "Cut that out!"

"Then lower your voice or your mother is going to hear us." As much as I don't wish to defy him, I have to know. "Neither you or I will be leaving this room until you tell me what is bothering you."

He stares at me with narrowed eyes, I can tell he's weighing my words in his mind, trying to estimate just how much merit there is to what I said. He gives a quick glance to the door, to me, then back to the door again. He seems to relax, coming to the conclusion that I wasn't going to move. Not until he told me what I wanted to know.

I feel myself growing impatient with the silence, however, I force down the irritation and will myself to calm down. This could only be won by patience, "Well?" Okay, well, maybe a little persistance.

Ritsuka lowers his head before he speaks, avoiding my gaze, "It's you, Soubi! You're what's wrong!"

Those words shatter my resolve for the shortest of seconds and I am glad he is looking away, lest he see my moment of weakness and the pain that flashes in my eyes. I ponder his words silently, this is going to take a little tact if I wanted to get to the bottom of this. Steeling my resolve I focus my gaze on the mass of black hair across from me, "What about me is wrong?"

"I-I don't know!"

A raise a brow, "You don't know?"

"Yes!"

"You do? Then what is it?"

When I am meant by silence I narrow my eyes slightly, I grow tired of this little dance. I am no where closer to my goal and if anything, only more so confused. It's time for another plan, "Why are you lying Ritsuka?"

That immediately gets a reaction out of him, "I'm not lying!"

"Then what is wrong?"

Ritsuka lifts his head to look at me and I'm shocked to see is eyes shining with built up tears still clinging to his lashes, "Why weren't you honest with my Soubi? Why did you lie? I trusted you."

I find myself falling silent, my emotions making a complete turn from feeling the betrayed, to the betrayer. Just as I open my mouth to respond, he speaks again and I immediately silence myself.

"B-but... The worst part of it all, if he really is alive, why hasn't he come back home? Doesn't he love me anymore?" Ritsuka sniffs a bit, the tears finally sliding down his cheeks in thin streams.

It was that, those few words that made my heart break. So that was it. It wasn't so much what Soubi said, but rather, it was the fact that Seimei wasn't here.

With Ritsuka.

I chanced a hug once again, this time he didn't fight it, too wrapped up in his grief. I gently stroked his back, relieved when I felt his thin arms around my waist, his clothes and towel now a forgotten heap on the ground.

A few moments later he releases me and pulls away, staring up at me with blood shot eyes. I give him a soft, reassuring smile and lift my hand to gently pat his head, musing his hair a bit, "Take your shower. I'll walk you home tomorrow, too." I give his forehead a parting kiss and pull my hand away.

With that I turn and leave, slipping into his room then using my usual exit. I hop down from the open window to land gracefully on the sidewalk. This was good, he was opening up to him. This was definite progress.

With a smile I continue on the street, heading back to my apartment. Yeah, things will be getting better now.

(Authors Note 2)
Ice Lioness: Yahoo! Second chapter is complete. That's two chapters in one days folks, that's just amazing for me.
Soubi: Yes. Quite.
Ritsuka: I cried...
Ice Lioness: Yes...?
Ritsuka: Why?
Ice Lioness: ...
Ritsuka: ...
Soubi: Right. Anyway... Please review, flames are welcome. Scroll on down for the preview and for the first time ever, review responses.

Chapter 3: Healing
Now that Soubi has discovered what is on Ritsuka's mind, it's time for him to begin the process of getting his old Ritsuka back.

Review Responses:
Vedevria: Thank you so much! Your review made me just hop up and start on this chapter right away. Now, to answer your questions. Yes, this story will be purely in Soubi's point of view. And yes again, this story takes place just after volume five. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last.