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When this all started? Maybe when Ritsu claimed his love for Mao or maybe when Izumi's lips took a different taste, but all of that doesn't matter, not anymore. Why did they agree to this? Probably because they were seriously in love with him or maybe because they were young and new in this love thing.
Mao always took care of Ritsu since they were children, in fact, he liked it, and he wanted to be the only one who take care of his Ritsu like that but, when he got new responsabilities and less time to see Ritsu, he started to feel kinda lonely. When he saw Ritsu being carried by other persons somethi8ng in his chest twist and the only thing that made him feel better were those sweet words Ritsu would whisper only for him "I'll always need Maakun to take care of me, because I love you~". Mao felt okay with those words, but he didn't believe it at all, until one day during a sunset he signed his own sentence with a simply little kiss.
At that time Mao didn't realize he was the one who needed Ritsu more than Ritsu needed him.
Izumi can't tell when did he fall in Ritsu's love game, he was never good with his own feelings and he'll never be, but Ritsu always told him it was okay, "I know Secchan better than he knows himself,, so I know what Secchan wants too~". Their first kisses were always secret, after practices or in some classroom when the school was almost empty, Izumi didn't know why Ritsu was doing that but he neither complain about it. Everything changed when Ritsu began to say sweet things and spell love words to Izumi while their little making out sessions. When he realized he was so lost for Ritsu it was too late, he wanted Ritsu's love and claimed him for more.
But then everying turned upside down.
Mao thought he knew Ritsu like the palm of his hand, but the more time passed after that kiss, the more he was discovering other sides of Ritsu that he didn't know; now they couldn't tell if Ritsu was an angel or a demon, he was like some kind of roller coaster, taking them so high and then leave them fall so fast again and again with never ending.
Why not just walk away from him? They always think it's because they really love Ritsu, but deep inside of them they know it's because at first everything seemed to be fine, everything was full of those warm feelings, as love should be. But now the things are completely different. Ritsu's love became like fire, burning them so painful, almost turning them into ashes; the feeling of fire in their skin was exciting, always leaving them wanting for more, even though, after all the sweet things and the moments of plasure, that fire would only leave bruises and scars on them.
But Ritsu's love was always fire, just increasing its flames around his beloved ones, to the point they couldn't escape from his fire.
Ritsu was always possesive with the things he love, but with them it seemed to be... Quite different, not only because Ritsu wants them for himself, but because he wants to be the one and only they need. Ritsu is quite greedy for sure.
Most of the time Ritsu was being spoiled by Mao but when Mao wasn't with him, he usually went in search for his other lover, only to be given all the love Izumi could give him at the time. None of them seemed to care about give Ritsu everything he wanted from them, they liked to see him happy and in reward for that Ritsu would always say he loves them with a bright smile and sparkling eyes, moving their hearts and filling them with happiness. As love should be.
Mao knew love wasn't like in all the mangas he had read, but he always thought it would be something a little alike; as for Izumi, well... He couldn't tell exactly how did he imagine love, maybe the happiness he felt around Leo the past year could be something pretty similar as how people think love was like, but he still wasn't sure how he imagined love. Though all their speculations of how love should be went to waste when Ritsu showed how his love is like.
Ritsu's love was fierce and intense as was his possessiveness for them, putting their thoughts over the edge, constantly wondering if Ritsu did really love them or if he only wants them like some kind of toy.
Izumi felt the difference in the way Ritsu spoke to Mao, always trying to fill Mao with sweet words, begging Mao to stay with him all the night. But what about him? What about Izumi's feelings? Why did Ritsu only claimed Mao's love like that? Why not his? Why not him? Why? Why does Ritsu only say he love Izumi when they're in secret? He wanted to hear Ritsu almost scream his love for Izumi, but Ritsu would only whisper it. Does Ritsu really love him? Sometimes he couldn't really tell, Ritsu makes him feel special when they're all alone, when Ritsu whispers into Izumi's ears that he's the most beautiful person in the world, while his cold hands run through his body, stealing his breath from his lips and leaving marks where no one else would see.
Izumi hates him for that, every mark Ritsu would leave, no matter how small it is, will slowly become a wound that leads all the pain directly to his heart. And no matter how many times Ritsu would say he doesn't need Izumi or Izumi's love, Izumi would always turn back to Ritsu's arms.
Why? Because Ritsu called him beautiful? Or because he feel so lost without Ritsu's love?
Mao (and any person with two eyes on their face) could see the difference between how Ritsu treats Mao and how he treats Izumi, why was Ritsu like this with Izumi? Mao didn't know, and really don't want to know. Maybe that's how their relationship always was? Who knows, anyway he didn't want to get involved in that; he feels so good when Ritsu says he only needs Mao in his life, even if that surely makes Izumi suffer.
But Mao knows that's a lie, Ritsu doesn't really need him, because he knows Ritsu could be with anyone who isn't Mao and it probably would be the same for Ritsu. Even if that words fills Mao's need to be needed he knows nobody really needs him, and Ritsu will remind it to him every time they're alone in the middle of the night, when the only thing that can be heard are their heavy breathings, so Mao would stay forever by his side.
Ritsu was really sweet with Mao, always filling him with soft kisses and constant declarations of love that felt painfully empty sometimes. Even though those empty words only hurt and left scars on him, they just leave him wanting more from Ritsu. Mao is pretty masochist.
Ritsu loves them with so much passion. He knows them very well, he knows how to make them feel loved and special, but also how to make them feel they need him more than anything, how they need his love to not feel miserable. And that's what Ritsu loves the most.
He knows how to confuse them, how to make them want more of his twisted love, so he would never be alone.