Hello everyone! Here's chapter 2!!! YAY! There isn't too much happening in this chapter, but just wait… I'm trying to build up the suspense… Please review, favorite and add my story to your alert list. If you do I will love you forever…ad give you a cookie, or a lollipop, whichever you prefer.

And a HUGE thanks to Matsiko and Agatsuma Ritsuka for your reviews! You're both amazing! For being the first two to comment, you both get a cookie AND a lollipop!

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way own Loveless or the characters from Loveless. Nor have I ever, or will I ever own anything associated with Loveless.

**

Soubi and Ritsuka sat in the hospital room in silence. Neither one had anything more to say. Soubi was still trying to convince himself that this wasn't a dream. Every few seconds, he would steal a glance at his beautiful Ritsuka. His Ritsuka. The boy was Soubi's possession now. He watched as the black haired boy examined his nails. He was just too cute.

The side of his face was now covered in bandages. Luckily, he hadn't needed any stitches and the doctor said that there shouldn't be any noticeable scaring. Ritsuka had seemed relieved to hear this, and Soubi was glad that the boy wouldn't have to wear a constant reminder of the events from the past few days.

The bright lights in the hospital room flickered. Ritsuka looked up at Soubi and gave a small smile. He still seemed slightly uncomfortable with the idea of moving away from his mother, but Soubi knew that the boy was ready to take this step. After five years of physical and emotional abuse, it was time to move on.

Soubi moved from the lumpy hospital chair and sat down on the edge of Ritsuka's bed.

"Don't worry about it. Everything will turn out fine. You'll be out of here in a few hours and then we can do whatever you want to."

"But who will tell my mother? What if she thinks that something happened to me? I don't want to worry her."

"I'll take care of everything Ritsuka. Please, just rest."

"I'm not sure I can do this Soubi."

"Ritsuka, I already told you, everything will be ok, I will always be here for you."

The boy gave a small nod and returned to looking down at his fingernails. Soubi sighed and stood up.

"I'm going to go get something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"Could you get me something to drink? Anything sweet."

"Sure, I think I can manage that."

Soubi walked out of the room and to the hospital cafeteria. There were only a few people there. A young man in a wheelchair stared at Soubi as he passed by. The blond man approached the counter and looked through the glass in front of him at the available food. He wasn't really even hungry, but he knew that he should eat something. He chose a bagel and bought a carton of chocolate milk for Ritsuka.

Soubi walked into the room and was met by a quick smile from the raven headed boy. He handed him the milk and Ritsuka gave him a brief thanks before drowning himself in the sugary liquid.

"Would you like me to get you another one?" Soubi asked with a small smirk on his face.

"No thank you. I'm fine now, I was just really thirsty."

Soubi was slightly startled when the door behind him opened and the doctor entered.

The doctor had a worried and confused expression on his face, "I'm sorry, but I called the number that you gave me and the woman that picked up said that she did indeed have a son named Ritsuka, but that he passed away about five years ago. She told me that she had lost both of her children. Does this mean anything to you?"

Ritsuka just stared up at the physician. His mother had lied? No, she hadn't lied, not really. It was true that she had lost both of her sons. Ritsuka, the real Ritsuka, had left her, and Seimei was dead. But why would she say something like that? Didn't she care at all that Ritsuka was in the hospital? The boy felt himself trembling, he tried to force back his tears, but a few managed to escape.

Soubi knelt down so that he could hold Ritsuka's small frame. The doctor looked at the man, his eyed filled with confusion about the situation, and sympathy for the boy.

Soubi turned so that he could whisper into Ritsuka's ear, "I'll take care of all of this Ritsuka. It'll be ok. I'm here for you, I'll do anything for you."

The boy just nodded and took a deep breath. Soubi gave Ritsuka a worried look and stood up.

"Excuse me doctor, but do you think that we could talk outside."

"Of course"

The two men left the room and closed the door behind them. There was a short pause before Soubi started to speak. "While it is true that I don't know Ritsuka very well, I do know his family. I didn't realize it at first, but he is the younger brother of one of my good friends. I have met his mother before and I don't believe that she is a suitable guardian. I have no proof, but I have a strong feeling that Ritsuka's mother is abusive towards him. Ritsuka's older brother passed away a few years ago, but before he died he told me that his little brother had lost his memories and that it was extremely distressing to all of the members of the family. Their mother had been unstable for quite a few years, but he was worried that she might start lashing out at his younger brother. It wasn't long after that, that he died. Ritsuka's mother has gone through a lot of stress and I'm afraid that she could be taking it all out on her son."

"I see… thank you very much for telling me this. While we were treating him, we discovered that he had many injuries. Some were quite old, while others were fairly new. Many seemed to have healed incorrectly, or never had been treated in the first place. I was slightly suspicious, but I was going to wait until I could talk to the boy's parents before I said anything. I can't do anything until I have proof of the abuse though. If you could get him to tell someone, we could help him."

"I have already discussed this with him. He may be willing to tell someone, but he's worried about what will happen to his mother."

"I've deal with patients with similar concerns before, usually a child or spouse that is suffering from abuse feels that it is his or her fault and often returns to their abuser, only to be wounded again. It is usually hard for them to tell anyone about the abuse because they feel that it is their fault. If we could convince Ritsuka to tell someone, I'm sure that we could get him away from his mother."

"That's what I've been hoping for. I'll talk to him about it."

"Ok, thank you. Right now I'm not able to release him without parental consent, but if we can prove that his mother is abusive, I'll be able to discharge him."

Soubi nodded and entered the hospital room. Ritsuka gazed up at him with a pained look on his face. Soubi felt like his heart was being ripped into a thousand pieces. He couldn't stand to see the boy so upset. The blond man walked over and took the raven haired boy's hand onto his own. He didn't know how to explain everything to Ritsuka. He wanted the boy to be happy, and he refused to allow him to live with his violent mother. He didn't want to see him hurt or in pain.

"Ritsuka, I know this is hard, but you need to make some very important decisions. I talked to the doctor and he said that he thinks it would be best if you told someone about what your mother is doing."

"Soubi! You told someone! Why did you do that? I don't want to make a big deal out of this."

"But it is a big deal. And he's a doctor, so it's fine, you would have had to tell someone anyway. Unless you were planning on going back to her. I don't want you to live with someone that hurts you. It's not right, I won't let you do this to yourself."

"…Soubi…Why are you doing this? You don't even know me. And you don't know my family. Why are you doing so much for me, you don't have any reason to."

"When I saw that you were hurt I knew that there was no way I could just leave you, but there was also something else. You looked familiar, like someone I use to know, and it wasn't until I heard about your mother that I figured it out. You're Seimei's little brother. I can't leave you, I want to be here for you."

A shocked looked passed over the boys face. "You knew Seimei!?! Were you his friend? How close were you two? Wha--"

"Ritsuka, it's too complicated for me to explain here. I promise, I'll tell you everything. But right now we need to concentrate on getting you out of here. Your mother isn't coming and they won't release you unless they have parental consent. Do you think you could call your father? If not you're going to have to talk to some people about the abuse before you get out of here, and even then, I'm not exactly sure what will happen to you."

"I don't know. I haven't talked to my dad in months. He's never home; he doesn't want anything to do with me. I don't even know his work number."

"Ok then, do you know the company that he works for? If so we can look up the number."

"Yah, I think I know." Soubi left the room and came back a few minutes later with a phone book. He placed it on Ritsuka's lap and watched as the boy flipped through the thin pages. "Here it is. I found the number."

"Good, I'll give it to the doctor. He'll call your father and explain everything. After you get out I can call someone for you. A therapist maybe… you just need to tell someone. Everything will be fine then. I know it'll be hard, but you need to do his Ritsuka. Do this one thing for yourself, don't give up. You deserve so much more."

"Th-thank you Soubi. I still don't understand why you're doing this, but I really appreciate it."

"I already told you Ritsuka, I'll do anything for you. Just ask."

Soubi sat down on the bed next to Ritsuka and pulled the boy into an embrace. Why did he feel so much compassion towards the small boy? Soubi didn't know, and at the moment, he didn't really care. Who knew why love worked in the strange ways that it did. The man knew that this one was special. There was something there, something linking the two, and it had nothing to do with Seimei. For the first time Soubi could remember, his life was not being dominated by Seimei. It was a little frightening.

The blond man held the boy tighter. Ritsuka relaxed and let himself lean against the older man's wide chest. Soubi gazed down at the beautiful person before him. He never wanted to let go. Slowly, he placed his hand under Ritsuka's chin and lifted his face so that their eyes met. Soubi felt overpowered by the clear violet eyes before him. They were so deep, so pure, filled with emotions that Soubi struggled to understand. Was he upset, nervous, scared? Soubi placed his other hand against the boy's cheek. The porcelain skin took on a faint rosy hue. His face was warm and soft. Soubi leaned in closer so that their breaths intermingled. Ritsuka just stared into the man's eyes. Soubi could see that the boy wanted him. The man's heartbeat accelerated, and his breathing hastened. Seeing the boy's hungry eyes only made his desire greater.

Soubi wasted no time as he closed the distance between them. He could feel Ritsuka's soft lips against his, smell his warm vanilla scent. Everything was perfect, complete. He wished for this moment to never end. Soubi vowed to never let anyone lay a hand on his beautiful Ritsuka. He would protect him with his life.

Ritsuka and Soubi pulled apart so that they could both catch their breath. Soubi watched in amusement as the boys face turned from a light pink to a deep red. "Soubi… what was…why?..."

"… Ritsuka…I love you."

"Wha- Soubi? You can't just say something like that! You have to mean it. It means nothing if you just say it without really loving that person."

"But Ritsuka, I do love you. You're everything to me. I want to stay with you. I'll do anything for you. I mean it, with all my heart, I really do."

"But Soubi… You can't… I mean, you barely know me. You can't love me."

"Obviously I can," Soubi leaned closer to Ritsuka and placed a delicate kiss on his lips. "You can't hide it Ritsuka, it's no good. I know that you want me to stay, and I have no intention of leaving."

"S-Soubi! You don't know what I want! I never asked for you to be here with me. I never said that I wanted you to stay." Soubi watched as a few stray tears escaped from the boy's eyes. "You say that you love me, but it can't be true, I don't believe you! Why are you doing this? Don't waste your time with me. I'm worthless…"

"Ritsuka, it's too late. I can't leave you. You can believe whatever you want, but the truth is I love you," Soubi grabbed one of the boy's hand and held it tight. Ritsuka was crying again, and it tore Soubi to pieces knowing that he was the cause if it. He just sat there silent as he waited for the boy to calm down. Ritsuka eventually stopped crying and looked up at the man before him. He didn't understand why Soubi wanted to stay with him, but he was grateful for it.

Soubi watched as the boy struggled with his emotions. He knew that Ritsuka liked him, but he also saw the worry in the boy's eyes. What was he afraid of? Was he frightened that Soubi would leave him? The man hoped that the neko would be able to see sincerity in his eyes. He wanted Ritsuka to believe him, to trust him. The boy seemed to understand the message that Soubi was trying to convey. He closed his eyes and gave a small nod, "Ok Soubi, stay here."

Soubi couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face, "Thank you."

The two sat silently, hand in hand. The silence was interrupted only by the sound of their breathing. Soubi watched as Ritsuka stared at the wall. His cheeks were still tinged with the ghost of a blush.

The door to the room clicked open and the doctor entered. "Hello. I have some good news; I was able to contact Ritsuka's father and he agreed to come down and fill out the release forms. However, he said that he was extremely busy this evening so he would have to do it in the morning. I'm sorry, but it appears that you will have to stay just one more night."

Ritsuka looked up at the doctor and smiled. "It's ok. Actually, I was wondering if I could, um, maybe talk to someone before I leave the hospital. I don't know how long it will take for everything to get sorted out and I've realized that I don't want to go home anymore. I have too much to handle right now; I think that this might work out better."

"Yes, of course. We have social workers here at the hospital. I can ask if one of them could stop by tonight. I think you've made a brave decision, not many people in your situation are able to do that."

"Thank you very much."

"Of course." The doctor turned and walked out of the room.

Soubi smiled and placed his hand on top of Ritsuka's leg. "That was great Ritsuka."

"It's all thanks to you Soubi."

"No, that took a lot of courage to say. It had nothing to do with me. You really are amazing Ritsuka, I think it's about time that you knew that. I love you."

"Soubi, stay with me."

"Forever"

Ritsuka leaned back against the pillows and grabbed Soubi's hand so that he could pull him down with him. Both of them were on their side, facing each other. Ritsuka moved closer to the man and buried his face in his shirt. He inhaled Soubi's unique scent; it was a mixture of smoke, paint and the scents carried by a breeze. Soubi wrapped an arm around the boy and pulled him even closer. Ritsuka sighed happily and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before his breathing became slow and steady. Soubi gazed down at his sleeping Ritsuka; he couldn't have been any happier.

**

The next morning Soubi was woken by Ritsuka's doctor. He was standing over the bed, eyeing the man and boy intertwined beneath him. Soubi sat up and stifled a yawn. Ritsuka stirred beside him and pulled the covers up over his head.

"Good morning," said Soubi, smirking at the man before him.

"Well, good morning. You two seemed to have slept quite well. I just came in to inform you that Ritsuka's father stopped in quite early this morning and filled out his release forms."

"Oh, that's good. When will Ritsuka be able to leave?"

"He should be free to go in about an hour, but before that I would like to have him speak with one of the councilors here at the hospital. I sent someone to the room last night as was requested, but she said that you were both asleep by the time she got here." The doctor was trying in vain to suppress a small smile while he said this.

"Hmmm… yes, I suppose that was my fault. I forgot that you were going to send someone."

"It's quite alright. She should be here in a few minutes…So Ritsuka; I would advise that you get out of bed now." The boy just groaned and pulled the sheets further over his head.

Both men gave a small chuckle and the doctor walked out of the room. Soubi turned to the ball of wrinkled sheets, "Ya'know Ritsuka. I think he's probably right. You really should get up now."

The boy slowly emerged from his cocoon of blankets. Soubi offered a smile and bent down to kiss Ritsuka on the lips. "Good morning, my darling."

"What did you just call me!?!"

"Nothing, Ritsuka."

"That's what I thought."

Ritsuka moved forward so that he could kiss Soubi again. He didn't know what it was about the simple kisses, but they were amazing. Every time Soubi touched him, his heartbeat turned erratic and his face got hot. This was what Soubi loved the most. He loved how a simple kiss could get such a huge reaction from the boy.

"Are you ready for all of this Ritsuka? The therapist is going to be here any minute. You're going to have to tell her everything. Don't hold back, this is your chance."

"I know, I'm ready."

Soubi gave the boy one more swift peck on the lips before he stood up and put on his glasses. Ritsuka remained in the bed, twirling his fingers as he waited for the therapist to arrive. Just on time, the door cracked open and a small woman with dark brown hair entered the room. She was very short and had a delicate frame. A pair of half rimmed glassed were perched on the bridge of her nose and small pearl earrings hung by her neck.

"Good morning. My name is Saika, nice to meet you."

**

Ok, that's where I'm going to end this chapter. It would have been a little longer, but I wanted to get something posted soon. I'm sorry it took me so long to update, I've been busy with school…blah…

Not long until the end of school though YAY! I should be able to update way faster then

Thank you for reading chapter 2!!! I'm having a small case of writers block, but I hope to be over it soon enough.

Reviews are like my bread and water. Without them, I have no inspiration to work on my stories, so PLEASE PLEASE! Leave your reviews, anything is fine, I just want to hear from YOU! (Yes you! Right there looking at the computer screen… go click the review button)

Ok, I'm going to stop rambling now, see you next chapter!