Dlbn: Hey everyone! Back with another multi-chapter fic! This was playing out in my head for a while so I decided to get writing while I wait for inspiration for Careless. So, without further ado, I bring you The Executioners.

Disclaimer: I own ploy and anything non-canon. I do not own Loveless or anything canon to it. That all belongs to Yun Kouga. As usual, I make NO money off writing this.

Warnings: AU, a bit of OOCness associated with it being an AU, mild language

000

Sixteen-year-old Aoyagi Ritsuka trudged down the hallways of his high school with his friends Shioiri Yayoi and Hawatari Yuiko one spring morning. He could barely keep his eyes open from the late night he'd had working, but he had no choice but to show up at school or risk someone calling his mother and making her suspicious. It was bad enough he had to deal with her psychosis and abuse on a regular basis. But if she heard that he'd skipped school, she'd have his head. Normally when he skipped, he had his boyfriend Agatsuma Soubi call and pretend to be his father and excuse him for the day. But this time Soubi had refused, telling it was his fault for researching so late when they had the rest of the week to find their target. Ritsuka barely registered Yuiko calling his name until the third time, when Yayoi slapped his shoulder to get his attention.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Are you alright?" Yuiko wondered. "You look out of it…"

"I had a late night."

"Playing Wisdom Resurrection again?" Yayoi laughed. "You need to get off that thing once and a while. It can't be good for you."

"I guess not." Ritsuka rubbed his left eye. "I was having trouble sleeping so I did what I could to tire myself out, but it didn't work well."

"Warm milk helps me." Yuiko offered.

"Maybe a hot shower. I don't like warm milk."

"Or hot showers." Yayoi pointed out as Yuiko giggled.

Ritsuka smirked. "Yeah, I guess you have a point."

"Maybe your boyfriend would know what to do to tire you out." Yuiko offered, tapping a finger no her chin.

Yayoi almost spit out the water he was sipping from his water bottle. "Yuiko, I don't think you understand what that sentence implies…"

"What would it…? Oh, no!" Yuiko shook her head, hands waving in front of her as she did. "I didn't mean that! I know Ritsuka-kun is waiting…"

"Not so much that I'm waiting, but more that the law says we have to…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Their teacher greeted them at the door and ushered them in just as the final bell of the period rang. Ritsuka sighed as he dropped his bag at his desk near the door and collapsed into his chair. Another boring day at school.

000

The following Saturday, a group of six figures were gathered around a round table in an office building up in Gora. The table was headed by a young girl with pink-purple ombre hair in false pigtails and an older man with orange hair. To her right sat a set of twins; one mint haired and one with hair of dark red and one eye covered by an eye patch. On her left sat a raven-haired teenager sitting on the lap of a much older blonde. The raven was sideways, one leg propped over the other as he lay across the chair. The blonde looked unamused by his antics, leaning his hand on his fist on the arm rest opposite the boy's head as his other hand ran absentmindedly through his hair. The girl at the head was leafing through paperwork while the twins bickered quietly about a game they were playing together on their iPhones. No one said anything aloud as the raven's eyes started slipping shut thanks to the feeling of his companion's fingers brushing his scalp. The girl cleared her throat as she tapped her papers on the table, gathering everyone's attention, before she spoke in hushed words with the man at her side.

"Can we go?" The raven asked. "I'm falling asleep waiting for you to say something."

"Give me a moment, Loveless." The girl scolded. "I'm not certain our intel is matching up properly. I wouldn't want to eliminate the wrong unit on accident, you know. It doesn't hurt to be cautious."

"Trust us; it hurts." The mint haired boy commented making his companion laugh.

The orange haired male took the papers from the girl and muttered something about disrespectful brats.

"You want to go, Moonless?" The mint haired boy was on his feet, chair swiveling behind him as he placed his hands on the edge of the table.

"Sit down, Zero." The elder male ordered, rolling his eyes as he ignored the mint haired boy's attempts to frighten him with a glare.

"Why don't you make me?" Mischief sparkled in his eyes.

"That's enough, Zero." The blonde ordered, waving them off with the hand that had been supporting his head. "I know you're bored. Get over it."

"Arigato, Agatsuma." The girl offered.

He only nodded. The raven on his lap turned to face him.

I want to go home. Can she just hurry up? The raven asked through their bond.

The blonde put a finger to his lips. All in good time, Ritsuka. His deeper voice all but purred as the kitten on his lap fidgeted and blushed.

God, would you just take my damn ears already? The shit you do to me.

Look who's talking, kitten. All in due time. He leaned up enough to kiss the younger on the temple.

The raven whimpered at the loss of contact until the blonde moved him to sit upright and lean against him.

"Yo, if you're gonna do that, go do it in private." The maroon haired boy complained. "No one wants to see that."

"Shut up." The raven muttered, tossing a harsh glare over his shoulder at the other.

"Enough." Moonless sighed, taking the papers back from her companion. "I have a new list." She pushed two separate lists at each duo on either side of her. "As usual, people acting up or in need of testing for you, Loveless. Zero, a couple units we have yet to track down and get a location on. I have my own execution list. If you run into any trouble, you know what to do."

"So, we can go now?" The mint haired boy asked.

"Yes, yes, you're dismissed." The girl rolled her eyes.

Both boys hollered in excitement before snatching up their papers and making a beeline for the door. The girl massaged her temples as they left. Loveless chuckled as he slid out of his lover's grip and eased his way out of the chair. The blonde followed as the teen stretched, popping his back.

"I don't know how you do it, Aoyagi." The girl told him.

Aoyagi cocked an eyebrow. "How I do what?"

"Put up with those two fools."

"Those two fools are my friends, and our colleagues. It would do you a favor if you were nice to them once and a while."

"Once again, I don't understand how that's possible." She left him alone.

Aoyagi rolled his eyes.

"You can't be mad at her for wondering." The blonde informed. "They can be a handful."

"Of course, but that doesn't change the fact that we are friends." Aoyagi shook his head. "If it wasn't for them and you, I wouldn't know a damn thing about this world, and she'd be short an executioner."

He nodded. "I know. Try not to let her get to you." He kissed the neko's temple and took the file from his hand to look over as they walked.

"Recognize any names?" Aoyagi asked.

"Just your brother, as always."

"As if he'd let us catch him." Aoyagi sighed. "I don't know what's more pathetic. The fact that she wants to catch him and keeps him on the list, or his devotion to me preventing him from slipping up."

"Both are rather ridiculous, if I were being honest."

"If you're not honest with me, I'll cut your tongue out."

The blonde chuckled. "You can act like this tough executioner all you at, Ritsuka, but I'm the only one that knows the real you. Inside and out." He winked.

Aoyagi blushed. "My friends home wonder if I'm a virgin. I wonder why I am."

The blonde chuckled. "All in due time, my love. All in due time."