Author: Okay, so Promocat and Fugu-Chan totally had me in tears. It's obviously been a difficult few months for me, and you're e-mails were totally appreciated and I wanted you guys to know how much you mean to me! You are the coolest readers ever! Anyway, here's chapter ten. Updated a week before even I thought it was gonna be updated. I never realized how exhausting productivity is. HERGBLEGH!

Chapter 10

The day seemed to go by in a haze. Ritsuka didn't really know what to do. It felt like the earth was shattering beneath his feet, and he was being pulled away ever farther from the only thing keeping him in one piece. He might've fought. He thought he remembered trying to break away from Seimei. He might've cried. His head was pounding. He might've died. That's what his heart felt like. There was no pulse. No warmth, no breath. Everything that made him what he was had slipped through his fingers. No, it hadn't slipped away. It left. He was sitting in the house that was no longer his, letting him be taken away.

'How could he do this to me?' Ritsuka thought to himself.

'He let Seimei take me that easily? I thought we…I thought he lov-…' Ritsuka couldn't finish the thought. It was too painful. Truly, heart shattering, terrifyingly painful. And what scared Ritsuka the most was how much it hurt. How Soubi had become so large a part of his life, that it felt like there was nothing left…Nothing. An aching, empty chasm had opened up, not just in his heart, but in his mind. And he finally let the oblivion of his mind take him.

"-suka. Ritsuka, wake up. Come on little brother, we're home." Ritsuka woke with a start. Cold, he was so cold. But Seimei's hand on his cheek felt like ice. He pulled away and stared at Seimei for a moment. When did he fall asleep? Seimei reached for him again and he shrank back. Not wanting those ice cold hands on him.

"I can get out on my own." He said with a cold look. Seimei stepped aside so he could pull himself out of the car. He looked at the vast house before him. It was expansive and there were no other houses around. It was eerily silent and Ritsuka felt suddenly, very much alone. As they headed up to the house, he noticed a young man sitting on the porch. He had shoulder length emerald green hair. It was just after sunset so the porch light was on.

The young man looked up from the handheld game he was playing and glared at Ritsuka.

"Is this the kid? Your brother?" He had a light voice, quiet. Ritsuka decided that he wasn't one to talk much and that suited Ritsuka just fine. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Especially anyone in this house.

"Shota, shut up." Ritsuka flinched. He had never heard his brother be so harsh or use such a tone on anyone. He stared for a moment at Seimei, wondering if this was even real. How could someone that was so kind to him in his childhood sound like someone so cold hearted?

He expected the boy to say something back, but instead he kept his mouth shut, stood up and moved to the side so they could pass. He continued to glare at Ritsuka. And Ritsuka glared right back until the boys eyes dropped.

The foyer was impressive with hand carved wood banisters leading upstairs and American Victorian moldings on the ceilings. A vast difference between the very classical Japanese onsen look on the outside of the house. Behind the door on Ritsuka's immediate left, there was a sizable commotion. Probably a TV. Seimei led Ritsuka up the stairs and to the left. There were no decorations, nothing remarkable about the house other than it was remarkably sterile.

They walked past doors and doors, the hallway seemed to go on forever. Ritsuka felt an unusual sense of déjà vu. He stopped in front of a solid white door and Seimei pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

" This is my room. Free reign to you. For anything." Ritsuka took a look around the room and was amazed at how sparse it was. There was a simple queen sized bed made up in the corner, a computer desk with a laptop, and a bookshelf next to a comfortable looking ottoman. He led him through another room into the bathroom. Also extremely devoid of personal possessions. At the opposite side of the bathroom was another door which Seimei produced another key to unlock the door.

"And this is your room. I know it's kind of bland, but I figured I could take you shopping tomorrow to make it feel a little more like home." Home. The word made Ritsuka hurt. This wasn't his home, this didn't even seem like Seimei's home.

There's some clothes in the closet for you, and some pajamas and other odds and ends in the closet.

Ritsuka stared blankly at the room, fighting back tears. This isn't where he ever wanted to be. He wanted Soubi.

"Soubi…" he said meekly. He didn't realize he said it out loud until Seimei grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him dead in the eye.

"Don't say his name. Don't think about him. He isn't here. I won't let him near you again. I will NOT let him take you." Ritsuka tried to pull away from him but he only gripped tighter.

"Do you understand me? Do you know why I did this? I did this for you. To protect you. To keep you safe. I'm the only one who can keep you safe. Safe from mother, safe from Soubi, and safe from yourself. I know about the cutting. Don't think you can hide it from me." His eyes! There was something…not quite right…unhinged almost. It terrified him. They looked so much like mother's.

Finally Seimei released his grip and gave him a gentle hug.

"Well, I'll let you get some rest. It's been quite a day. And tomorrow, we'll go shopping for stuff for you, okay?" Seimei smiled and left the room. Ritsuka waited until Seimei closed the opposite door to the bathroom, but as he reached the door, he heard the lock click and fall into place. He tried the door handle and sure enough, it was locked tight.

He went back into the room and tried the window. It would open but there was barrier window mesh over the outside of the screen. He felt trapped. Completely and utterly trapped. He was too tired to try and think of anything else to do other than to curl up on the bed. It was a full size bed, much larger than his twin bed at his house. And so much emptier. As he lay in bed, staring blankly at the empty wall a thought suddenly occurred to him.

'My cell phone! I can still call Soubi!' Hope filtered into Ritsuka's chest with glee! He could call Soubi, and Soubi would come get him. He ruffled through all of his pockets, but couldn't find anything. His cell phone, his wallet, nothing. He suddenly thought about waking up in the car and not remembering when he fell asleep. He realized he hadn't fallen asleep, he had been drugged. His own brother had drugged him. Seimei, the man that just made a valiant speech about keeping him safe.

It was daunting to think that the man just outside of his door, use to be his hero. His guardian angel. Now? What was he now? What had he turned into? Or had he always been like this? Ritsuka felt himself falling, falling, and falling. There was a hole forming in his chest. An aching sadness that burned through every nerve in his body. An echoing emptiness filled his mind as he drifted into a fitful sleep, still fully dressed.

As he slipped into sleep, all he could see behind his lids was the completely, and utterly defeated look on Soubi's face as Ritsuka was ripped away from the only person that had never lied to or hurt him. The only person he ever truly loved…and that face followed him into sleep and haunted his dreams. Tomorrow, tomorrow he will figure out a way to find his way back to Soubi. He will find a way to get home.

Because this is not, nor will it ever be, a home. Behind locked doors, and barred windows, this is not a home. This is a prison. A cage. And if there was one thing Soubi ever taught him, it was that you are only ever as caged as you allow someone to keep you. And he had no intention of being caged here any longer.

Author: END CHAPTER! Holy hell ass batman! It feels so good to get back to the story and into the writing process! I know what you're thinking, how the hell is he going to get out of here and back to Soubi! Well, calm yo' tits peeps! Because I'm still trying to figure that out. Lol! Anyway, please leave a message after the beep.

Blake: Beep!

Author: To mark this message as urgent please press '11'.

Blake: There is no '11', you FUCKING WHORE!

Author: Aahhh, RVB references. So much fun. Anyway! LOVE AND ROCKETS! 3