A/N : Not mine. All Kouga Yun's. I don't own Loveless. I don't make any money out of it.

Chapter 17

I took him time to swallow Seimei's last order to Soubi. It had evoked an anger so bright he had barely been able to prevent himself from lashing out at his already wounded Fighter. His. Soubi was his. He had to bring him back and soon. Seimei's treatment of him was not tolerable and it had to stop. Ten years. He had been chained to his brother for a whole decade. That was far too long. It was time Soubi acknowledged their bond. He had spent the previous days away. He had needed to clear his mind, settle his nerves and determine his course of action. His mind set on the task at hand, he went to Soubi's flat.

"Ritsuka," he greeted. "Is there anything you wish to do?"

"Yes," he answered simply and got nearer to him. He had noticed the shift when they were close, the almost imperceptible hitch in his breath and slight stiffening, the way he would determinedly clasp his hands in his back. Oh, yes, he had noticed it. Soubi didn't recoil from him in fear. That, he saved for Seimei. With him, he didn't know where to stand and let him set the pace. He was a Sacrifice, he should give directions. Well, the lesson had been difficult but he had learnt it. And desire was still there, unaccounted for, not acted upon, never discussed but forever present. He got even closer and smelled him deeply. "I want to do something different today," he whispered in his ear, toying with a lock of blond hair that tickled him. "Stand still," he ordered. "Close your eyes and concentrate."

"Concentrate on what?"

"Just do it. You'll know."

He faced Soubi and watched him, watched his chest fell evenly in rhythm with his breathing, watched the locks that had escaped the black ribbon holding his hair back, watched the bandages on his neck, watched the earrings he had sent him years ago. The afternoon sun on his back, his Fighter at his side and a homey feeling warming him inside, he felt content. He smiled. Yes, it definitely was the perfect day.

He looked at his string and played with it a moment. Felt its weightless presence, its smoothness and its strength. He tugged slightly on it, made it ripple. He followed its line with his eyes and smiled wider as he found Soubi on the other end. As expected. And yet Soubi still couldn't see it. But he could feel it if he tried. He gripped his string tighter with both hands, closed his eyes and concentrated. He concentrated on his memories of Soubi, his feelings, the time spent together, the soft training he had initiated. He concentrated on his need to claim him, to made him understand, to gain his trust. He concentrated on all that made Soubi special to him. He concentrated on his urge to free him from Seimei, to know he was safe and cared about, to protect him. And suddenly he yanked. He yanked as hard as he could. He yanked with all his might, with all the urgency he harboured. He yanked to save them both. And Soubi faltered. He faltered and Ritsuka smiled. When Soubi opened his eyes in surprise, looking at Ritsuka for an explanation, he found him already inches from him.

"You are mine," he said in his ear. "You may not believe my words, but you can't refute the string linking us. Sit," he ordered as he himself stepped away and sat down on the floor. "You understand what happened, don't you?"

"How is that possible, Ritsuka?" he wondered, a hand fleetingly touching the scars on his neck.

"Ah, baffling, isn't it?" He smiled, no, rather smirked. "It's possible because you shouldn't be Beloved. That is not your name. It is not your true calling. Seimei shouldn't have named you. You were not for him."

"You can't change your name. How can I respond to both?"

"Are you daft or are you unwilling to accept it?"

"I'm sorry," he replied, the words automatic.

"Don't be. I'm neither patient nor tactful. I shouldn't take my frustration on you."

Soubi nodded and lapsed back into silence.

"Do you really not understand?" he asked as he put a hand on his, surprise evident in his tone. "You are mine. You are Loveless. You should bear my name. You feel me because we are a Unit. You feel me because I accept you as my Fighter. And right now, you've felt me because you haven't resisted the pull."

They looked at each other and Ritsuka saw it wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped. Yes, he had felt him and reacted. Yes, he wanted to belong to him, he could see it in his eyes. But the name on his neck held him back. He wasn't accepting or even understanding that his mindset was the catalyst. That as long as he believed he could never change his name, he would forever be Seimei's.

Ah. So he would have to take drastic steps. Calling would wait another day. Soubi was not ready. He needed a few days to come to terms with all this.