Well, this is the first chapter of my first fanfic ever! I hope everyone likes it!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ritsuka sighed and looked up at the midnight sky. Several fat drops of rain struck his nose and eyes and he blinked repeatedly. His mother had gone berserk yet again. He had a long shallow cut across the side of his face in testimony of it. He needed a place to stay for a while and all he could think of at the moment was Soubi. He had just turned thirteen last week. Had he told anyone? No. He didn't want the attention; he didn't want people fawning on him. Although he had friends that he liked he still didn't like people fussing over him.

Except Soubi, for some reason the blond mans fussing didn't bother him as much, it bothered him yes, but not as much. If he went to Yukio she would jump all over him. Besides, she was probably asleep already and he didn't want to walk in on her. So Soubi it was, he decided. He walked slowly down the street as the sprinkling rain rapidly became a downpour.

"Seimei, I wish you were here. You would have been able to protect me from mom" he sighed softly and lowered his head, his cat ears and tail twitching. He reached Soubi's apartment door and stared at it dubiously for a moment, absently playing with the cell phone around his neck. He was about to knock when the door opened suddenly and Soubi smiled down at him. The tall fighter's hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his glasses were nowhere in sight.

"Staring at the door won't make it open you know" he said, leading the slender, black haired boy inside. Ritsuka blushed.

"I know but-"he was cut off as Soubi began toweling his hair dry gently. Where the towel had come from, he had no idea.

"Why are you here, Ritsuka?" he asked. Ritsuka glared even though Soubi couldn't see it because of the towel.

"I can't just come visit you?" he snapped. Soubi chuckled

"At midnight in the pouring rain?" he asked. Ritsuka blushed again.

"It's nothing" he said irritably.

"I love you, Ritsuka" he said softly. Ritsuka ripped the towel out of Soubi's hands and glared murderously at him.

"Don't say that! You only say it because Seimei ordered you to! I don't want to hear it until you mean it!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. A hurt look flashed across Soubi's face but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"Is that an order?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. Ritsuka continued to glare at him.

"Yes! That is an order" he snapped.

"Whatever you wish Ritsuka, I live only to obey you. I live only for you." He said.

"Liar!" Ritsuka exploded again "You live because Seimei ordered you to! You live for Seimei, not me!" Ritsuka was on the verge of tears now. Soubi frowned.

"I'm sorry" he said, his hands moving to his shirt

"You can punish me if you wish" he said. Ritsuka snarled his cat ears flat against his head.

"I've told you before, I won't hurt you!" he felt a tear slide down his cheek. It was too much, first his mother and now Soubi. Even though Soubi hadn't done anything except be himself, Ritsuka was still angry at him.

"You're not my Ritsuka!" echoed in his ears as he tried to dodge the plate she threw at him and failed. He blinked out of the memory as Soubi placed gentle fingers under his chin and lifted his head so that the black haired boy was staring straight into his eyes. Soubi's other hand came up to brush the cut on his cheek gently.

"How did you get this?" he asked. Ritsuka sighed, as if Soubi didn't already know.

"It's nothing" he said, covering his cheek with one hand. Soubi sighed.

"Come Ritsuka, let's get you out of those wet clothes" he said, leading the thin, pale boy into his bedroom. Ritsuka was stripped of all but his boxers with gentle efficiency and a long sleeved white shirt was slipped over his head before he could so much as protest.

"Now, go to sleep" He said softly, guiding Ritsuka to the bed that dominated one corner of the room. He laid Ritsuka down and covered the boy securely.

"Good night" he said softly, leaning down to give Ritsuka a slow, through kiss that left the younger boy breathless. Soubi switched the lights off and stood in the doorway for a moment before Ritsuka's breathing evened out and he appeared to fall asleep.

"I love you, Ritsuka" he whispered before walking back out and shutting the door behind himself. In the bedroom, Ritsuka's eyes opened and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, still as uncertain of Soubi's loyalties as he had been when he was twelve,

"Are you sure?" he repeated before exhaustion overcame him and he truly slipped into sleep.