Dlbn: Only one chapter left after this, so this will be the last update until Saturday for the epic conclusion!

Nbld: So let's get the ball rolling with the Review Corner! Thank you to Promocat for reviewing! Candy and ice cream for you!

Promocat: He's always been so submissive to Seimei in canon, I figured maybe there was a reality where Soubi just might be slightly immune to him. Then Ritsuka comes along. I feel like his love for Ritsuka outweighs his fear of Seimei, we just haven't seen that side of him yet *shrug*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Loveless or anyone in it. It all belongs to Yun Kouga. I make NO money off of writing this story.

Disclaimer 2: I do NOT own the song *** by ***, which this fic is based off of. I make NO money out of referencing it.

000

Soubi had shown up on Ritsuka's doorstep later that evening, claiming that he had heard from some people in town about Ritsuka running out of the Inn and demanding to know what Akame had done to him. Ritsuka had ignored him until he went away, saying something about getting the information out of Akame if Ritsuka wasn't going to answer. He sounded more hurt then man, but at this point, Ritsuka didn't care. Soubi had lied to him. He had almost been a victim of the doll himself when he first moved to town, now worked for the doll, but spent Ritsuka's time in town trying to convince him that he was imagining things. For what? To help Ritsuka? To ease his own mind? And why had Nisei called Mimuro to get him to try and help Ritsuka? To tell him to run away. If Seimei found out, he'd be pissed. And Nisei, and maybe even Soubi and Mimuro too, would have to pay for it. None of this made any sense. Four people who never knew one another existed before moving to the same town and dealing with the same cursed house had all these connections. Soubi's family cursed Nisei's, that curse created Seimei, Seimei tried to take Mimuro but he fell for Nisei, Seimei caused Ritsuka's mother to go insane and led him to the town, where he fell in love with Soubi. Life sure was strange, but this place was as strange as they came. He still remembered when he arrived and the town seemed run down, but was miraculously vibrant and lifelike the next morning. That probably should have been his first hint that this place wasn't on the up and up. Ritsuka sighed as he paced back and forth in his kitchen, debating on going to the blonde's office to speak with him. The doll had made his otherworldly presence known as soon as Soubi had gone away, and was munching on some peanut butter and cracker sandwiches Ritsuka had made for himself but hadn't bothered to eat.

"Just going to ignore him, hm?" Seimei wondered, swallowing what was in his mouth.

It still fascinated Ritsuka that the little doll could even eat. Then again, he was a cursed child that just looked like a doll and had stiff joints.

"I don't want to speak with him right now."

"Lover's quarrel?"

"There has to be two people involved for it to be a quarrel, so no. I just need some space to cool off. He made me feel like a crazy person with this whole thing."

"What whole thing?'

"You. Saying you're all in my head."

Seimei offered a hand. "You know I'm here. Touch me if you don't believe me."

Ritsuka put up a hand. The idea made his skin crawl. "I believe you. I touched you before, when I picked you up at that elderly couple's home."

"Oh, right." Seimei went back to munching. "Not nice to touch someone without permission. Normally I don't like human contact, but I'll let it slide just this once."

"Thanks."

"You're very welcome, Ritsuka." Seimei nodded. "What are friends for?"

Ritsuka shuddered, hoping the doll didn't see it. It didn't seem like he did, since he was staring at a cracker he was chewing on. If driving people insane was what Seimei did to his friends, Ritsuka hated to see what he did to his enemies.

000

The next morning, Ritsuka stopped at Soubi's office. The blonde watched him make himself comfortable, waiting for Ritsuka to speak first.

"Good morning." Ritsuka greeted finally.

"Good morning." Soubi confirmed, smiling gently. "I thought you didn't want to speak with me."

"I needed some time to clear my head."

"Oh? I'm sorry to have tried to intrude on your alone time." Soubi wondered. "No more doll?"

"He's a child, Soubi, not a doll. You know that as well as I do."

"Ritsuka, don't tell me you think he's the child from the story…"

"I know the whole story, Soubi. Not just the parts Kio talked about in his story."

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Mimuro living in that house before, you resisting Seimei and taking over Nisei's family's business, you and Nisei working for Seimei; I know all of it."

"Ritsuka, that's nonsense. If I did work for him, don't you think I'd try to drive you to him, not try to convince you he's a hallucination?"

"Mimuro called my office. I confronted Akame. The only one around here not telling the same story is you." Ritsuka argued. "Please, Soubi, I won't be mad at you if you tell me the truth. I know you don't have a choice here. Seimei's a psychopath. A cursed psychopath. You can resist him driving you insane, but you can't resist him telling you what to do."

Soubi sighed. "Ritsuka…"

"Please, Soubi, Sukidayo. I just want to know the truth. Please. If you love me and don't want me to go insane, or at least one of those two, you'll come clean…I'm begging you…"

"When did Mimuro call you?"

"Yesterday morning."

"Is all this why you wanted to clear your head?"

Ritsuka nodded. "Yes. It was just a lot to take in. You're descended from the Shaman and Nisei is descended from the Mayor. How could I wrap my mind around that? I just wonder who the Sheriff was, and who that mysterious stranger that killed Seimei and his family are."

He almost slapped himself for that one. He hadn't thought to ask Akame if he knew. But if no one at the time did, then it was likely he didn't either.

"The Innkeeper's ledger from way back then is kept in town hall. It would say who checked in at that time. Whoever didn't check out is probably the killer."

"So you're admitting to this…?"

"I am." Soubi sighed. "I thought if you didn't go insane then maybe, just maybe, you could resist him as well and join me…"

"I could never help Seimei."

"We'd escape. Escape this town, escape that child. Let Akame handle it. His family got everyone into this mess. If they had just listened to my ancestor…"

"He wouldn't have cursed them?"

"Yeah…" Soubi nodded slowly.

"How did you find out you were descended from him?"

"My foster father." Soubi replied. "He was friends with my mother before she died. When I told him I moved here, he said my father's family was originally from here. I don't normally trust Ritsu, but…"

"Wait, Ritsu? Minami Ritsu?"

Soubi's face paled. "Is he still fostering?"

"He's the boyfriend of my old foster mother, Sagan Nagisa. She was the one I lived with last. I got along with her kids really well…"

"Well, it appears we were destined to meet after all."

Ritsuka laughed. "Yeah, just in the weirdest way possible."

"Well, I wasn't getting out of here after all this started, and if I did, I definitely wasn't going to seek out Ritsu again. I hated him."

"Why?"

Soubi rubbed the top of his head, blushing as he looked away.

"Oh…oh Soubi…"

"It was years ago. Don't worry." Soubi shook off the memory, patting his lap.

Ritsuka happily got up from his seat and took up a spot on the seat his boyfriend was offering. He buried his face in Soubi's neck.

"I'll never get away from him, will I, Soubi?" He asked. "I'm not special like you, I'm not strong like Mimuro was…"

"You're very strong, Ritsuka. You've resisted him this long."

"But it may not be enough…"

"We'll figure a way out of this somehow…"

"There is no way out…unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Seimei…I have to kill him…"

"What?" Soubi laughed. "You can't kill him. He's already dead."

"He was brought back to life." Ritsuka stated. "And how did he even get into the house in the first place if he was buried in the cemetery? Someone had to have helped him rise and got him back there."

"Story Akame told was that one of his ancestors heard a voice telling him to come to the cemetery. When he got there, the doll was sitting on top of the gravestone. He was so freaked out and remorseful that he put the doll in the house. This was an old family story he was told as a child, or I wouldn't believe it."

"I'm starting to think the Akame family spread all those rumors and urban legends around to seek help and explain to the town what was really going on in that house on the hill. But everyone thought they were so out there that they had to just be scary stories. No one took anything seriously."

"They took the Akame family as serious as they took my ancestor, the Shaman. Some people are so prideful and ignorant."

"But still, that means that the doll crawled out of the grave. Like a zombie. You can kill zombie with a quick blow to the head."

"You think hitting him on the head will do anything? I tried that. My family caused the curse. If anyone could reverse it, it would likely have to be me or a relative of mine."

"Did your family ever teach you how to place and reverse curses?"

"Of course not. That stuff was weeded out a few generations after this nonsense started. The Shaman's son was alive, so he's the one out blood comes from. He made sure to start to weed it out so no one would ever have to suffer from our curses again."

"Smart."

Soubi nodded.

"My mother got away from him. You and Mimuro got away from him. Maybe it's time someone just ends him."

"Or you could just run away with me." Soubi offered. "Tell Seimei nothing. It's not like you have a lot of possessions at the house. Just your camera, the box, some clothes, and a bit of furniture, right? We can ditch the furniture and just take the small stuff. Seimei won't come out when I'm there. I'm some kind of repellant to him or something."

"You're immune to him, and that frightens him. I'd be scared too. After all, you share your blood with the guy who killed and cursed him."

"Right."

"Please, Ritsuka, leave with me. I'll give you a couple days to think about it, okay?"

"Alright. But my mother and grandparents ran away, and he still plagued her until the murder-suicide."

"I know. But you'll be with me. I'm immune to him, like you said. You'll be safe if you stay with me."

"I…I guess you're right." Ritsuka smiled gently. "I'll think about it, Soubi. I promise."