Now who missed me? I'm sorry I kept you guys waiting so long, life been chaotic lately. And sadly, it's going top get even more chaotic soon; I'm not going to be home at all next month so updates will been infrequent, I'm sorry guys...

But enjoy this chapter for now~!

Kio was exhausted as he walked through the grocery store collecting food for the week; Soubi was having a worse week then usual, and as his best friend, and basically his psychologist now, that meant very little peace for the green haired man.

Panic attacks were almost daily occurrences, Soubi would start yelling in terror about what Ritsuka's mother might do to him. The blond man had slipped so deeply into depression that sometimes he would just sit on the sofa for hours without talking, eating, or sleeping.
And when he did sleep he would leave the blankets on the floor so Kio would come into find him trembling from cold as he whimpered Ritsuka's name.

Kio put two fingers to his temple and sighed sadly as he stopped walking for a moment. 'Poor Sou-chan's tearing himself apart...'

The green haired man had coaxed an explanation out of his classmate when he had found Soubi sobbing, collapsed on Kio's apartment floor (They've been roommates since then because Soubi was barely staying alive even with Kio's constant help.) but Kio still didn't understand why Soubi couldn't go back to his young lover.

'Either get over him or go back! You're killing yourself with self-hate and loneliness...'

But Kio never voiced any of these thoughts, even as the years passed and Soubi got sicklier and skinnier with the passing days, his eyes becoming dead and his face becoming gaunt as he steadily changed from the beautiful, happy colledge student to a heartless zombie.
The green haired man had given up on winning Soubi's heart a long time ago, there was obviously nothing in this word that mattered to the blond then Ritsuka; yet still Kio gave up his social life to keep Soubi from depression and death, still accompanied Soubi when he would run out into the cold in search of his sacrifice, and still comforted Soubi after his almost constant nightmares.
Sometimes he would ask himself why he still cared, still cherished, but the answer was always the same: Even though he'd been rejected and thrown aside, Kio still liked Soubi, he still liked him a lot.

Kio was jolted out of his thought when he ran straight into a green sweater. 'Kio you need to stop spacing out like that!'

As he looked at the person he had run into -surprised that he had to look down slightly since he was smaller then average- he started and jumped back startled.
Even though it had been two years and a lot had happened in that time, it was unmistakable.

The person standing in front of the green haired man was the same boy who had brought back Soubi two and a half years ago; the boy had grown a little bit and had gotten even skinnier, but it was still Ritsuka.

"K-Kio?" Ritsuka stared wide-eyed at the green haired man in front of him, unconsciously looking for Soubi behind him.

"So you do remember me!" Kio said under a bubbly facade, not quite sure if he was angry at the boy since it was nearly his fault Soubi had stopped acting human.

"Yeah... I can't believe it's been two years! How've you been?" Ritsuka said awkwardly as he shuffled his feet and stared at his groceries; which mostly consisted of unhealthy snacks that he didn't have to prepare in the kitchen , where his mother still waited for her Ritsuka to return.

"I've been okay, glad I'm finally down with college" Kio chattered on about this and that, while Ritsuka awkwardly tried to get a few words in here and there as their grocery's were checked out by a pretty, young brunette cashier.

o0o

"Well goodbye Ritsuka! I'm going to head home now" Kio threw the words over his shoulder as he turned around and began to walk back to the depressing apartment.

The black haired neko looked after him and felt his heart clenching nervously as he opened his mouth to speak; it was now or never.

"Kio wait!" He yelled after the pierced man, his voice shaking slightly with nerves.

"Hm?" Kio looked over his shoulder slowly, dropping one of the plastic bags and turning around.

"Is- uh... Did Soubi ever come back?" Ritsuka blurted out anxiously, balling his hands up into fists as he waited for an answer from the green haired man.

Kio didn't answer immediately; he let out a slow, drawn out breath and closed his eyes.
The green haired man was conflicted, it had hurt when his Sou-chan would fawn over Ritsuka right in front of him while Kio tried so hard to be noticed.
But then again... Would Soubi ever be happy if Kio selfishly lied to the neko boy?

"He did" said Kio levelly.

Ritsuka felt his heart soar at those words; Soubi was alive! But if so, why had he never visited Ritsuka? Did he not love him anymore?..

The boy was jolted out of his thoughts when Kio sudden looked right at him intensely and began to speak. "He's more broken then I've ever seen him before. Please visit him, he misses you." Kio then told Ritsuka his and Soubi's address and started to walk away.

"Kio wait!" The artist looked back to see Ritsuka with his hand stretched out slightly as if to pull him back.

"Can I come over tomorrow?" Kio almost laughed at the innocence of the fourteen year-old.

"Yeah" Then Kio was walking away from the neko decisively.

Sou-chan, I'll make sure you smile again. Even if that smile isn't for me, I'll make it so you can be happy.

But never will it be me..

Poor Kio *cries* Am I the only who thinks he deserves someone special? He tries so hard for Soubi...

Reviews please~? The next chapter will be from our adorable little neko's point of view!