Well hello there again! So as I'm sure my stories will show, I've been on quite the long hiatus. I do apologize for that, but I am back! I have changed my writing style quite a bit and will finally get back to updating all my cold stories! So hang in there if you will! In the meantime…here is my first story now that I'm back. This was intended to be part of my Playlist, but decided it could stand on its own! So here we go!

This part inspired by The Killing Lights by AFI

-Shuichi77

"Soubi! I said get out! That's an order!"

Those were the last words the blonde heard before he was forced from his Sacrifice's life for the second time over these long past 2 years of their rocky relationship. Soubi had yet to figure out why exactly the broody boy had become such an intense whirlwind of emotions and angry outbursts, but as always, he was loyal to a fault. He did the only thing he could do, just as before, he left the boys side, but only on the surface. He could never bring himself to ever fully leave. He instead opted to lurk in the shadows of his life and do what he could to keep the boy safe from a forced distance.

The last time that Soubi was ordered away, it was rather manageable. Ritsuka had still been in the same school with the same friends, and for the most part didn't change his life too much. He had noticed during that time however, that the boy took to some odd habits. He observed countless nights where Ritsuka would simply lay in bed and sob for a reason he couldn't figure out; and other nights, he watched the boy go on walks for several hours despite the weather, no real direction, just wandering in silence. He made note of these odd habits, but honestly didn't think too much of them. It had been during one of those long walks that Ritsuka had suddenly stopped on a corner, sighed heavily, and faintly called Soubi's name, allowing him to finally return to his side where he stayed until the more recent separation.

This time however…Soubi noticed a drastic change. Ritsuka had grown a bit now, he was 14 and had just moved up into his next school. All his friends had ended up in different schools due to his mother's neglect and apathy towards putting Ritsuka in the school he wanted, leaving the poor boy utterly alone. Soubi knew that Ritsuka was honestly no good at making friends on his own, so he was forced to watch, day after day as the boy he loved just barely made his presence in school. He watched him take his lunches alone in the library, walk home from school alone, and do all he could to avoid all human contact. It was then that Soubi truly began to worry.

It was only two weeks into the newest parting that things escalated to more dangerous levels. Soubi had gotten so caught up in trying to finish his own classes and keep an eye on Ritsuka, that he had been completely ignoring the countless calls and texts that had been coming from the Septimal Moon. The lack of communication soon led to a team being dispatched to locate both Soubi and Ritsuka. The team had located Ritsuka first, corning him one evening in an empty park. At first, Soubi had thought it would surely be his way back into the boy's life, seeing as they had to fight as a pair, but he was shocked to find that Ritsuka was stubbornly holding his ground. He was further mortified to see that Ritsuka actually accepted the teams challenge all on his own. He shuddered, to this day, each time he recalled the horrific scene.

"What's the matter Loveless? Aren't you going to call your Sentouki?" The opposing team had sneered once the fight had already begun.

"Never. You can fight me or go away." Ritsuka replied in a very aloof manner.

"You know that's not how things work Loveless…you can't fight us on your own."

"I'll do what I like. And stop calling me that! I'm not Loveless…not anymore."

Soubi's troubled mind tried to spare him the heart ache of remembering such a thing, but he still couldn't get all the images out of his head. His small Sacrifice…being fully restrained in one spell when fighting all alone. The horror of having to watch the battle end and see the boy be beaten and bloodied while he could do nothing to help. He would have liked if that was the end of his misery, but sadly, there was more. Twice more he watched fighter units emerge to face Ritsuka, and twice more he could only watch. He did, at the very least, chase right after each unit after they had finished and given them his own swift justice, inflicting upon them the pain they caused his partner, and worse. That didn't make it right though, and Soubi was left once more with so many questions and fears.

It had now been an entire month since Soubi had been sent away this time, and he was getting to the end of his rope with worry about his precious love. He had now begun to follow the boy more closely and attempted for the first time to reach out to him without disobeying his orders, but to no avail. He had started to lose sleep now, stopped eating as much as he should, and was glued to his phone every second of the day. He couldn't stop hoping and praying with all he had that Ritsuka would come to his senses soon and call him back.

It was very early now, around 5 am, and Soubi was suddenly awoken from a rare bout of sleep by a burning aching feeling in every fiber of his being. Ritsuka was calling to him. The joy and relief rushed through him as he flung himself out of bed and hurried out the door to seek the boy out. It was only a matter of moments before the call pulled him to Ritsuka's home. He knew better than to take the front door, so swiftly crawled into the boy's window just like he used to all those years ago. He was worried to find the boy not in his bed, and so quickly searched him out. He soon found his way to the bathroom and his heart sank when he saw the boy crumbled up on the bathroom floor, sobbing softly in an odd sort of half-asleep state.

"Ritsuka!" He called as he darted and fell to the floor so he could pull the boy into his arms tenderly, shaking him just a bit to try and fully wake him. Luckily it only took a moment or so before Ritsuka seemed to come around and naturally moved to cling on weakly to Soubi's shirt for support, insanely comforted just from being in his arms and taking in his familiar scent.

"S-Soubi…did…did I call you?" He asked in a groggy sort of voice, looking up to the man with hazy purple eyes.

"Yes…you did. I am sorry it took so long to get here. What…what's happened? Are you alright?" He asked in a hushed and tender tone, stroking the boy's cheek gently as he held him.

Ritsuka quickly remembered what had happened, and turned his gaze away in shame as he grumbled and thought on how honest he really wanted to be. In the end, he decided there was no use in lying at this point.

"I'm fine Soubi…I just drank too much."

"Drank too much?! Ritsuka…why have you been drinking? That's very unlike you."

Ritsuka quickly took on a more sullen and withdrawn attitude when he was questioned. He managed to wiggle his way free of the man's arms and moved to be propped up in a seat against the bathroom cabinet, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor to avoid looking at the sweet blonde.

"How would you know what's like me anymore? Besides…its really none of your business and I don't want to talk about it."

"But Ritsuka…I wa-"

"I said no, Soubi! I don't want to talk about it!" The boy hissed coldly.

Soubi knew it was in his best interest to obey his partner, but it was incredibly difficult after having been so worried about him. He decided that, for the moment at least, it was still better to not get on the boy's bad side. He sighed softly and cautiously crept a bit closer so he could brush a stray lock of silky black hair from the boy's face so he could see him more clearly, just so happy to be near him again after so long.

"Well…I am very glad to see you. I've missed you. You're just as beautiful as ever…"

Ritsuka's face tensed up slightly to the sweet words and he quickly pushed Soubi's had away from his face so he could retract even more.

"Don't say those things Soubi. I've told you that." Soubi actually couldn't help but smile when the boy seemed to be at least a bit more of himself.

"Heh…it's hard not to say them when they are so very true. Have you been well?"

"I don't want to talk now Soubi…I want to go to bed."

Soubi did look a bit sullen to that but knew once more that it was better not to push it. He nodded gently before standing to his feet and extending a hand down to the boy, who took it and helped himself up onto his own feet.

"Then I will help you into bed."

Soubi smiled and helped guide Ritsuka back into his bedroom and into his own bed. He was surprised that he was allowed to do so, but certainly wasn't going to question it. Once he was in bed, Soubi very sweetly pulled the covers over the small, and now pouting, cat eared boy, and then reached to once more just caress his cheek gently.

"I will leave you for the night, but please do call me when you are free next. I'd like to maybe go and make some memories with you and perhaps catch up." He suggested softly, though didn't get a reply from the boy. He then turned to make his exit but was suddenly stopped by a small hand clutched gently onto the bottom of his coat. He turned with a curious expression, to see Ritsuka blushing and looking away with his ears flicked back submissively, and an even more pouty look on his face.

"You can stay here while I sleep. Get into bed. That's an order." He whispered very softly. Soubi smiled warmly and nodded before kicking off his shoes and coat and climbing into the bed to wrap him back up into his arms.

"Anything you wish…Ritsuka."

TBC