Fall Away from Your Past.

Something I've done that I can't outrun
Maybe you should wait maybe you should run
But there's something you've said that can't be undone

Seimei waits for weeks and weeks, once he makes his choice. He smiles and listens and keeps a mental tally of how many days there are left until this Ritsuka – Ritsuka who has so many friends and who's loud and popular and who fits in instead of shining – is no more.

When the day finally comes, he waits after midnight, after one past midnight, after two. He waits until outside it starts to snow, lazy snowflakes that will turn the world white and pure. Then he walks slowly, trying to calm the fast beating of his heart, the thrill that makes his skin seem to tight, almost like a spell does. It's, of course, natural that he's excited like this.

When he opens the door, it doesn't hinge, but he still leans against the wall for a moment, just listening to the silence, feeling the way he's almost shivering. Then he moves slowly, avoiding a forgotten toy over the floor and carefully sitting by the edge of Ritsuka's bed.

His brother doesn't stirr, curled down over his side and facing the wall, breathing in and out without a care, as if he wasn't tainted by their mother spoiling him rotten, by their father's too harsh expectations and words, by the people that keep on surrounding his brother until the Ritsuka that he knew is almost disappearing, until Ritsuka is his.

His mouth curls into a frown when Seimei thinks about this because Ritsuka should only be his, but then Seimei's expression smoothens because that won't matter anymore, not after this. Curling a hand around Ritsuka's bony shoulder, Seimei shakes his brother awake, Ritsuka barely mumbling a few words, kitty ears twitching gently as he blinks open one eye.

"Be mine," he asks Ritsuka in a whisper, reaching over to move a strand of hair that has stuck to his brother's mouth.

"Wha...?" Ritsuka yawns and rolls onto his back. Seimei lets him, but leans over him, his hand gentle over his brother's chest, feeling the birdlike collarbones, the soft, constant thump of Ritsuka's heart under his palm. "Niisan, wha..."

"Happy birthday," Seimei whispers, curling as close to his brother as he can, shifting over the bed, his chest against Ritsuka's, and there's a thrill building slowly over Seimei when he thinks that he could cover his brother completely like this, until Ritsuka would disappear from other people's sight and be only his. "I have a present for you."

"You're weird," Ritsuka mutters, rubbing his eye a little bit and stretching before he settles down again, almost closing his eyes. Seimei leans against his shoulder and kisses his jaw just a little. Ritsuka shifts again. "Whaaat? Seimei, 'm sleepy!"

"I'll just give you your present," Seimei whispers against his Ritsuka's ear, pushing himself up to smile at him. "And then you can sleep... tell me your name."

Ritsuka pouts, eyes still cloudy, and he tries to push him a little away.

"Niisan! Y'ready know... lemme sleep!"

"Tell me," he asks Ritsuka, eyes on his. He needs the submission, for Ritsuka to give up his name like that for this to work. To put his name and fate in his hands.

His brother sighs and mutters his name, annoyed and tired and half asleep and Seimei smiles, looking at Ritsuka's clear and upset blue eyes. That won't last for long.

"Aoyagi Ritsuka. I hold captive your name. From now on, your fate belongs to me."

Ritsuka's eyes go unfocused, his face relaxed in a different way than his sleeping face ever was. Seimei doesn't break his gaze away from his brother's eyes, even as he shifts to completely cover his body. He feels the way Ritsuka is breathing, and Seimei memorizes the way his expression clears from all his previous experiences, making him his, warmth and love pooling deep inside him as Ritsuka's eyes darken and shift from their usual baby blue.

"I command you to forget..."

Seimei kisses Ritsuka slowly once his brother falls back asleep, his hand against Ritsuka's face, his lips gentle against Ritsuka's. He smiles at his brother's tender expression, knowing that no one else is stealing Ritsuka's dreams and he presses another kiss to Ritsuka's lips, brushes his bangs from his forehead to kiss him again before he stands up, tucking the blankets close to is brother's body before he walks out of Ritsuka's room.

His Ritsuka. His and only his.