Summary: Soubi comes back to Ritsuka on his twenty fifth birthday...

A/N: I came up with this when it was Ritsuka's 25th birthday, or when my birthday came around, and with recent inspiration decided to finish it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless, or information from Google translate.

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"Twenty five and up"

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"Ritsuka, I was wrong..." he paused, dropping his cigarette and crushing it. "I want to... Could you please..."

Pacing before the apartment building, he held a bottle of red wine wrapped with a silver bow. Finally pressing the button, it buzzed, then a muffled voice spoke "Who is it?"

"Soubi." Two minutes passed as he patiently waited for a response.

Discontented, the younger said "Soubi."

The door buzzed, and the thirty three year old entered.

Though he was never in this building, he knew the way to the staircase. With ease he trekked up forty seven flights, then made his way down the hall.

Coming around a corner he stopped before bumping into a young man.

A young man with black hair, and cat ears...

Lavender eyes peered up at him. Measuring five feet six inches, Ritsuka remained shorter than the six-foot tall man.

Despite this, Soubi felt small.

Wordlessly Ritsuka turned, and gestured for the stranger to follow. Reaching an open door he entered without removing his shoes.

Soubi followed him into the brightly lit apartment, and closed the door.

Picking up a large remote Ritsuka pressed a button and soon the lights dimmed to normal.

"You thirsty?"

The question caught Soubi off guard, and he stared down at the bottle in hand.

"Yeah, the wine."

Soubi could nearly hear him roll his eyes at the statement, and felt like a fool.

Walking into the small kitchen area, "I don't have wine glasses, but these should work." He came out with two regular drink glasses.

"Same as that, I don't have a cork-screw. I don't usually drink." He shrugged, setting the glasses on the wooden island separating the kitchen from the living room.

Soubi turned the cork. At his house he sipped it to check that he purchased a suitable year.

He poured an equal amount of the sweet juice into the glasses.

Ritsuka sat on one of three brown arm-chairs, pushing the footrest up.

Soubi stood at the kitchen island, glass in hand.

"I'm sure you didn't come here to play these old guessing games", he sipped once, then twice. "This is good, thanks for bringing it."

"You're welcome, I hoped you'd like it."

"Good a full sentence, we're getting somewhere."

"I apologize, I'm just... tongue-tied."

"Well drink some wine, and get it out. And sit down, that might help too."

Taking a deep breath, and a deeper exhale Soubi sat at the furthest chair. He didn't want to be too presumptuous and sit just beside the younger male.

Staring at Ritsuka's shoes, "Seimei's dead."

In a gasp-laugh wine caught in his throat and Ritsuka started choking. Pushing the footrest down he coughed wine onto the stained rug.

Soubi jumped up to help, but he waved him off as he coughed out the last of it.

"Who the fuck-" he sipped to ease the strain on his throat. "You find me somehow, come to my house, and that is how you start?!"

He had a point.

"Don't clam-up again dammit. I want answers, an explanation you fucking..." He mumbled, and drank again.

"Today you're twenty five..."

"Yeah I noticed."

"I'm sorry."

"You damn well should be." There was so much more he wanted to say, to pile onto this ghost, but he refused to do so, Soubi needed to talk now. He deserved that much at least.

"What do you want to know?"

"No, I'm not asking anything. You know it all, say it. Start talking and don't stop. You'll know you've said enough when I tell you to leave." He poured more wine in his glass, then drank from the bottle.

"I killed hundreds over the years for him..." Thoughts and memories came in a flood.

"For about a year after we- I left you, I felt bad for the victims, but after that I managed to block out those sort of things."

Ritsuka corrected him, "Emotions."

"Yes. I lost emotions. Empathy, sympathy these were among the weaknesses for which I was punished... You likely heard that Seimei defeated the Seven Moons..."

"If by "defeated" you mean tortured, then burned them alive, yeah I heard about that."

"I bound them, and he lit the match-"

"Nem 'ana 'afahum" Ritsuka spat; he knew what his brother and his minions did.

Soubi learned Arabic as a disciple of Ritsu, and Ritsuka learned it during his time as a computer security specialist.

"Seimei died in a fire set by-"

"Are you sure this time?" he scoffed. "I don't think I could deal with him doing Jesus-tricks twice. Is he really gone this time?"

Soubi regarded the empty wine bottle sitting beside the young man.

"I'm certain he's dead."

Streets lights flashed on outside, indicating the late hour. "I assume you have no family, no wife and kids running around", Ritsuka chuckled. "So if you want to stay the night it's fine."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't seriously let you stay if it wasn't. I have no girlfriend or boyfriend, no roommate, so no need for permission."

Stunned, "I hardly expected you to invite me in, let alone-"

"There's only one bed though, I don't have any cots or anything."

"I can sleep in one of these chairs, if that's alright with you, or on the floor."

"I was actually just going to say you can sleep with me, in my bed I mean. It's big enough for two people."

He didn't appear to be joking.

"I'm tired, so whatever you want is fine." He yawned, and walked down the short hallway to the single bedroom.

Soubi watched as he removed his shirt, and turned away when he began pulling down his jeans. Soon after he heard a grunt and the thump of boots hitting the floor.

"Coming?"

Soubi now turned to see the younger man laying bare-chested, in blue-striped boxers.

Amidst confusion, Soubi complied. Removing his shoes he placed them under the bed. He kept his day-clothes on, and laid down stiffly, awkwardly.

Ritsuka hugged him, the way one would hold their stuffed animal. "Goodnight Soubi, see you tomorrow." He whispered, drifting into sleep.

"Goodnight" he replied.

When Soubi was certain dreams now guided his mind, he spoke softly "I love you Ritsuka."

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The end

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English "Yes I understand" = Arabic (نعم أنا أفهم) "nem 'ana 'afahum"

Hope you liked it, please review.