Chapter 9: Still It Rains

Nisei groaned. A week. A week! A week that felt like a month! A year even! A year of nothing! No entertainment, no laughter, no joy, no, no, no life! Everything felt so barren and grey, not because he and Loveless went into hiding, but because it seemed like every gypsy had. They were all to afraid to do anything, even to just leave the capital in their colorful robes. The streets were void of there playful shenanigans and over all attitude.

"This is suffocating." He mumbled into his book.

He didn't like being stuck at Seimei's place, he felt like he was being confined! And being confined did not sit well with any gypsy.

"What is?" Seimei looked at him.

"This!" He waved his arms around. "Being here! Everything! This stupid book!" He stood and through the book Seimei had got him, across the room. He had picked up how to read and write surprisingly quickly, but he was still just learning so it was a very easy book with a very basic plot.

He sat back down on the couch, almost hyperventilating. He put his hands on his head. "I feel like I'm losing my mind."

Seimei just stared at him, waiting to see if the gypsy had finished.

"Well say something!" Nisei whined.

"Pick up that book." Seimei ordered in a bored tone.

Nisei groaned once again, but still got the book up off the floor, dusting it off before hugging it to his chest.

"I mean it Seimei. I can't stay here like this, it's messing with my head, I'm not used to it."

"Used to what? Having an actually roof over your head?" Seimei picked at him.

Nisei ignored it. "Being confined. You said it yourself gypsys can't be confined to one place for too long."

Nisei started to pick at the pages of the book. "It's, it's-"

...

'Depressing.' Ritsuka sullenly thought as he snuggled into his appointed pillow.

He hadn't gotten up and out of bed since he woke up, which had been over two hours ago. He felt sad and tired, but of course he was happy being around Youji, Natsuo, and Soubi. Youji and Natsuo always doing something mischievous, whether it be to him, Soubi, or the both of them, and Soubi... well him just being around was nice. Honestly, it didn't get very boring here in the house, but still something felt amiss and it was starting to weigh down on his shoulders.

This was not the first time he felt like this. He remembered it had happened once before, when he was twelve and ran away from home, to live in the gypsy capital. He remembered the first week had been fine, but the the few after that were really lonely. Kio had said it was probably because he missed his home. That was probably it now, he was homesick, he missed the gypsy capital, he missed dancing to the music, he missed making people happy, he missed being able to act like a gypsy, he missed... everything.

"What are we suppose to do?" Natsuo whispered to Youji as they both watched Loveless from the doorway, as he was facing the opposite wall.

"We can pull a prank on him. Maybe make him laugh? Or we can have him help us mess with Soubi?"

"I don't think that'll work today. It hardly worked yesterday."

The mischievous duo had realized yesterday that Loveless was starting to get a little down so they pulled a small prank on him to make him laugh. Which had worked, but only temporarily and his smile was only half-hearted.

"Maybe we should ask Soubi?" Youji looked over to Natsuo, who only nodded as he softly shut the door.

It was the best option they could think of, after all they weren't really good at this kind of stuff. Soubi and Loveless were the only friends they had, they really never needed any, always having each other, and past people who called themselves their friends often left right after the two pulled a prank on them. Not that it bothered the two of them, why have friends who can't even take a joke?

"Soubi." The two whispered in unison as they quietly pushed the door open, probably for the first time since they met the blonde.

They quickly spot the blonde on the floor painting, usual. They walked closer to talk to him, but were stopped in there tracks starring over Soubi's new painting.

"Whoa." Youji breathed out.

"Is that Loveless?" Natsuo wondered.

"Yes." Soubi nodded, adding more detail to the eyes.

"Maybe that'll make him feel better?" Youji whispered into the red heads ear.

"It would make me feel better."

They shook their heads, trying to get back to the reason they came in here.

"Soubi, Loveless is depressed." Natsuo started.

"He hasn't gotten out of bed all day. I don't even think he's eaten!" Youji stressed.

Soubi looked up at the two of them. "Is he sick?"

"No! He's depressed!" Natsuo repeated.

"Seems like a lot of people are these days." Soubi remembered buying his paint earlier, the merchant seemed bored and sullen too.

"Yeah apparently gypsy are becoming inactive."

"Like an endangered species." Youji snapped.

"It's sucking the fun out of everything." Natsuo looked down at the painting of Loveless. "And everyone."

Soubi sighed as he got up off the floor. "I'll talk to him."

"Will talking work?" Youji wondered looking at his friend as Soubi left.

Natsuo shrugged.

...

"Ritsuka?" Soubi called his name softly as he entered the room.

There was no verbal reply but he could see the boys ears twitch at the sound of his name.

"Ritsuka." Soubi repeated as he closed the door behind him.

The sound of his name being called again made his ears twitch again, or maybe it was from the click of the door being shut.

Soubi sat on the edge of the bed next to the gypsy. "Ritsuka, what's wrong?" he asked, though he already had a good idea of what was bothering him.

Ritsuka turned over so that he was facing the tall blonde. "Nothing. I'm just tired."

"Natsuo says you're depressed."

Ritsuka just shrugged.

"And Youji says you haven't eaten. Have you?"

Ritsuka shook his head. "No, but I've had some water."

"You need to eat." He brushed stray bangs from the boy's face.

"I've gone with out eating before."

Ouch, well that kinda stung Soubi's heart. Poor Ritsuka.

Ritsuka seemed to notice that what he had said had upset him so he tried to change the subject. "Soubi, I'm just homesick. That's all."

"Do you want me to find a way to get you back home? To get you back to the gypsy capital?" It's not what he wanted, but if it made the boy feel better...

Ritsuka shook his head. Thank god.

"It's not just that. I miss dancing." He gave a small laugh. "It's weird I used to dread it, now it's the only thing I want to do."

"Why did you use to dread it?"

"Cause I thought it was embarrassing. Dancing, moving like that, with everyone staring."

"You're very good." Soubi stroked his hand down the boy's cheek.

Ritsuka flushed. "Thank you."

Soubi smiled as he removed his hand. "Even if you don't want me to send home I still think you should get out of the house, for a while at least."

He would like that, but. "Soubi I can't. Not unless I want to get all of us killed."

"We could go at night. The guards are all think you're in the gypsy capital anyway, they won't pay any attention to us. Besides if you're really that scared you could wear a disguise, in fact you should." Soubi's smile seemed to get a tinge bit bigger.

"Why?"

"Because, I want to take you somewhere. And you don't want to be recognized."

His ears twitched. "Where?"

"It has to be a surprise." Soubi smiled a very charming smile.

Ritsuka thought for a moment. He didn't want to get Soubi in trouble, but if he were disguised then he should be okay. And he really wanted to know where Soubi wanted to take him.

"So Ritsuka, will you accompany me tonight?"

Ritsuka looked into his sapphire like eyes and nodded.

...

"You think my home is depressing?" Seimei questioned, slightly offended. His home was better than half the homes in the kingdom and most definitely better kept.

"Not the point." Nisei stated. "I'm always stuck here with nothing to do but read and balance random things on my body."

"What?" Was this gypsy actually touching his things when he wasn't here!?

Nisei ignored him. "You at least get to leave to the church for awhile. I'm always here. Alone." The Beloved gypsy seemed to mumble that last part more to himself than to Seimei.

Seimei rolled his eyes, getting rid of that odd feeling.

"You can always come with me you know?"

Nisei's head popped up.

"The church isn't that far from here. Hide your face until we get there, it's not like they can take you out if they see in there." His tone was a matter of fact.

"But, before, that guard said they searched the church for me."

"Yes, but that's all they can do. And they can't even stay there for long cause they'll be kicked out for harassment."

Nisei thought for a moment. "How come you've never told me this before?" He asked slightly irritated.

"You already ruined the sanctuary of my home."

"Hey, you were the one that invited me here."

"A mistake I won't make again. Come on." He stood up off his seat.

"Where are we going?"

"The church, now come on."

Seriously how slow can a gypsy be?

...

Nisei walked right by a guard, who was picking at his nails at the foot of the church stairs, he didn't even seem to notice he walked by. Cloak or no cloak you would think a guard would have checked him, especially wearing the cloak.

"Do you feel better?" Seimei asked in an annoyed tone.

Why in hell was he annoyed?

"I do." Nisei simply stated as he brought his hood down.

No one in the church really seemed to care that he was in there, though he did see two people look at him for a moment before whispering into each others ears. They smiled as they turned back him and waved, instinctively he waved back. They seemed to be his fans, the ones not on the creepy slash perverted side, probably just missing him and his shows.

Seimei seemed to notice this and rolled his eyes.

"See there's not much to do here." He crossed his arms.

Seriously what was up with him?

"Well what do you do here?" He put his hands on his hips.

"Seimei-san usually watches you dance." A small voice spoke.

They both turned to a young girl walking towards them. She was pouting as Seimei glared at her.

"I'm Mei." She stated. She looked over at Seimei. "Mikado and Mimuro are up top she asked me to come get you."

She gave the Beloved gypsy one more look over before rolling here eyes, seemingly unimpressed, and heading back the way she came.

"Does she have a problem with me?"

"Shut up." Seimei began walking towards the stairs, where Mei had already disappeared to.

Nisei pouted before following him, smiling. "So you like to watch me dance?" He teased.

"Shut it."

"You know I can always give you a private dance."

"We're in a church."

"I thought you said you weren't religious?"

"I'm not, but you could have at least some respect. After all if it weren't for this religion you wouldn't be safe here."

Nisei opened his mouth to rebut that, but immediately shut it knowing that was indeed true. Still no god or anyone ever showed him mercy or kindness, abandoned as a child, almost assaulted every day by perverts. The only one that had ever looked out for him, aside from himself, was Chouma and Kio... and now Seimei too? He guessed?

He shook his head now was not the time to think about how screwed up his life was.

...

Nisei and Seimei had spent most of day on the roof talking to Seimei's 'friends'. Nisei had rather enjoyed it, he and the one named Mimuro had seemed to hit it off fast, much to Seimei's and Mei's annoyance. Which for some reason made Nisei feel even better about it. He was actually surprised to see that he too, like Seimei, still had his ears! Why did these attractive people still have their ears!? I mean he could kinda guess why Seimei did, he didn't seem to get along with anyone well, even his 'friends', more like acquaintances, but Mimuro he seemed to have a very fair, fun, maybe even charming, personality. It didn't really make sense, but it was pointless to think about it so he just pushed the thoughts out of his mind.

This was definitely better than spending all day in Seimei home, it was so nice and relaxing being on the roof of the church, outside! He even got to show them a few magic tricks, mostly just slight of hand, not wanting to attract attention to them and get them all in trouble. He definitely felt better by the time the sun went down, but he knew it wouldn't last he knew with time he would get that confined feeling again. Being only able to go to two places and show off simple little baby tricks, was not gonna be enough for his spirit.

...

Soubi was already dressed in a dress suit, with no tie, as Youji and Natsuo walked in. This time pushing the door open roughly so that it hit the back of the wall, announcing they were entering his room, that was normal.

"Well where are you going?" Youji asked Soubi, who was putting on a black eye mask.

"I'm taking Ritsuka out."

"Like on a date." Youji giggled.

"That'll help with his depression." Natsuo added with his own giggle.

Soubi rolled his eyes and pushed past them as he left his room and headed to the one they shared with Ritsuka, they followed after him giggling.

"Ritsuka." He knocked before entering the room. The boy was still sitting on the bed, like he had been all day, but at least he had eaten.

"Are we leaving now?" Ritsuka wondered.

"Right after you get ready." Soubi stated handing him his own eye mask.

Ritsuka took it. It was white, with pink and yellow stones tracing it in a pattern, and two feathers on the right side, both white, but each tip was frosted with the other color.

"Soubi, I don't think this will be enough to hide the fact that I'm Loveless."

Soubi smiled. "That's not all you're wearing." He took his hand and got him off the bed, for the first time, leading him towards his room.

Once again Youji and Natsuo trailed after them.

"You're wearing this." Soubi stated as he opened his closet doors.

Ritsuka flushed pink. Youji and Natsuo looked at each other, trying and failing to stop their smiling.

"S-Soubi, I can't wear that."

"They wouldn't even think it was you. It's perfect." He smiled his charming smile.

Ritsuka flushed red. Then Youji and Natsuo were on the floor practically dying from laughter.

Author's Note: I've never mentioned it, but I've tried to hint towards it, Ritsuka, Youji, Natsuo, and every that are their age (in this story) are actually two years older, but everyone else is the same. So Ritsuka, Youji and Natsuo are 14, as Soubi is still 20 and Seimei and Nisei are still 17.