AN: So after all this time, here's a chapter. It's probably not the best and I apologize for that. I'm still trying to get my mojo back. Nevertheless, I hope you like it :)

VentePaDu

Chapter 6

Soubi Collapsed on top of Ritsuka and rolled over so that the boy was lying on his chest, both panting heavily. Ritsuka could hear Soubi's quick heart beat and as it began to slow down, so did his breathing. When his breathing had slowed to normal speed, his eyelids began to droop, eyelashes brushing up against Soubi's skin.

"Go to sleep Ritsuka."

"As long as…you're here when I wake up."

"I already told you didn't I?" He brushed hair out of the boy's face as his eyes closed. "I'm not going anywhere."

Ritsuka's eyes opened slowly as sunlight crept through the curtains. He groaned as he rolled over, his whole body hurting.

He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his back popping as he went. He was stiff all over. He set his feet on the floor and dragged himself over to the bathroom. He turned on the water as hot as he could possibly stand, unwrapped the bandages from several parts of his body and got in, letting the water loosen up all of his muscles. After he felt about ready to melt, he got out, dried his hair with his towel and slipped back into his boxers and jeans from last night. He glanced up in the mirror, as if to convince himself it wasn't a really dirty dream. An earless face stared back at him. It had really happened.

After spending several minutes mulling over this fact, he grabbed the new roll of bandages off of the counter and rewrapped his arm. He then began to search for his shirt, which, much to his dismay, was nowhere to be found. He sighed and walked out into the kitchen, scanning the room as he left it.

"Hey Soubi I can't find my shirt. Where'd…" He froze as his eyes fell on three figures in the kitchen. Kio, Soubi and…

Yuiko…Oh God…

"I can't believe you!" She ranted as she walked towards him. "Here I am worried sick about you and you're just here…fooling around!" She smacked his good arm when she reached him and then her expression softened as she took in his now earless appearance. He suddenly felt naked as if she was looking through him. "You really had me worried there Ritsu-kun. I knew that you missed your curfew and then you didn't show up to school for three days." He glanced at the clock out of the corner of his eye. Four thirty huh? He looked back at her when he felt arms wrap around his bare chest. "I was really worried." She mumbled the words into his chest and he patted her back, trying to be comforting. He glanced over and Soubi and Kio and mouthed 'Help me' in their direction. Neither of them seemed too enthusiastic about doing so and he glared at both of them as they smirked at him. She finally released him after several minutes, and began looking him up and down once more. "When'd you get a tattoo?"

"A few weeks ago." Then he heard Kio's voice from across the room.

"Cool huh? Now Soubi just has to get one and our little club will be complete." Ritsuka scoffed at the man with green hair and walked over to Soubi, who laid his arm across the shorter boys shoulders as Ritsuka wrapped one arm around his waist.

"I don't remember inviting you to join our little club Kio." He felt Soubi let out a silent chuckle next to him. Kio stared at Ritsuka, mouth wide.

"You're turning out to be just like Soubi. Always making fun of me. I'm obviously not appreciated." He began to dig into a bag on the counter. "And this is the thanks I get for buying you all this stuff." He pulled out a small black cell phone and a jacket that looked like a red and black track jacket at first glance, but it also had a hood when he looked at it more closely.

"Thanks Kio. Really."

"No problem. I was going out anyway." He tried to justify his soft side without much success. "Think of it as a late birthday present. Soubi already gave you one I assume." A slow blush crept across Ritsuka's cheeks and reached the tips of his ears.

"Not just for this. For the ice cream and advice too." Kio winked up at him.

"No problem little Ri-chan." Soubi looked down at him, utterly confused.

"What advice?" He released himself from Soubi's grasp and walked over to the fridge.

"Oh nothing. Do we have anything to eat?" Soubi sighed as he walked over and pushed Ritsuka out of the way, grabbing two eggs as he did.

…:::…

Later that afternoon, Soubi climbed up to his balcony and put all his clothes and school books into a large duffle bag and brought them back to him so Ritsuka wouldn't have to go home anytime soon. For that he was grateful. He had almost died. He didn't want something like that happening again.

Soubi walked him to school the next morning, saying that he simply had errands to run anyway. Ritsuka suspected that he had ulterior motives. He always did.

They reached the gate to the school all too quickly, and Ritsuka let out a sigh. This was going to be all different kinds of awkward. Sure Yuiko had accepted it easily enough but she was his friend. What about everyone else think?

It didn't matter what everyone else thought. At least that's what he told himself. "Ritsuka?" He looked up at the blonde man. "Are you sure you're ready to do this? I can call you in sick again."

"No I'll be fine. I've got to go sometime right?" Soubi looked down at him worried but didn't comment on it.

"Alright, if you're sure. I'll be waiting here when you get out." Ritsuka nodded and then walked towards the school. Other people in class had already lost their ears. It wasn't a big deal. Right?

As he reached the classroom door, he sighed again. No one had paid attention to him so far, maybe no one would notice, he wasn't that popular anyway. He slid the door to the classroom open and saw everyone busying themselves with their own conversation not paying any attention to him.

He left out a breath he didn't know he was holding and walked towards his desk. He slipped down into his chair and slouched down further into his coat, wanting to be swallowed up by it. A few people had noticed his entrance and they were whispering. Fabulous. He retreated back into his musings, thinking about completely inconsequential things, trying to block out his paranoia, when someone blew into his ear. He jumped, pulling himself completely up out of his jacket, back straight, muscles tense. He turned his head to the right and saw Yuiko sitting in her desk. "Jeez Yuiko. You scared the shit outta me."

"Sorry. You were zoning out again." He grunted turning his head to the front and sinking back into his new coat. Kio had picked out the perfect one. It was warm and fit him perfectly. He made a mental note to thank him again later. "So how's Soubi." He turned his head slowly, only his eyes visible over the upturned collar of his jacket.

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm just curious…" He knew where this was going.

"We went to bed last night without anything important happening, if you must know." He could hardly believe that innocent little Yuiko was asking about his sex life. He shook his head slightly as he turned back to the front of the room.

"So are you officially moving out of your house?" If he still had his ears they would have twitched. She was prying again.

"I guess I am." He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he pulled it out, opening up a new text message.

I'll see you in a few hours.

Soubi

A small smile graced his lips before he slipped the phone back into his pocket. "What's got you so happy all of a sudden."

"Nothing much." Just then the teacher walked in and everyone took their seats. He didn't make Ritsuka take off his jacket anymore. Apparently he had heard from Shinonome-Sensei the true reason behind his bandages. His arm was still throbbing dully and he glanced down at it, the only bandaged visible being the ones that ran down to his hand. He smirked. But then it slowly faded.

My God. He thought to himself as a realization hit him. I'm turning into as big of a masochist as Soubi.

…:::…

He watched the clock anxiously as it ticked through the last few minutes of class. He wanted to get out of here. People had been giving him weird looks all day. It got so bad at one point that he had almost left. But he had stuck it out. And in two minutes and nineteen seconds he could see Soubi. Not that he was counting or anything.

He was out of his seat the second the bell rang, and out the door one second after. He rushed to the front gate before anyone was in the schoolyard and, just as he expected, Soubi was already there. He rushed up and turned the man around, immediately capturing his lips in a quick kiss. He was glad that Soubi had listened to him for once and not smoked in front of a school. When they parted Ritsuka unwrapped his arms from Soubi's neck and took a small step away from him. Not more than half a minute later, voices began to fill the schoolyard. "So how was school?"

"Embarrassing. Awkward. Lengthy. Tumultuous." Soubi smirked down at him. "What are you smirking at?"

"Nothing." They stared at each other for a few more seconds. Before Soubi slipped an arm around his shoulder. "Let's go home."

Home. The word was shorter than a lot of other but held so much more within it's four letters. A Home was a place of love and belonging. A place where he could go to and feel accepted. He didn't have to be scared anymore. He didn't have to be….

ALONE.