Nitori walked around the corner of Samezuka Highschool with another person. He looked nervous, and the person who he was with was becoming impatient.

"So is my brother here or not?" Gou scoffed. "Mikoshiba told me you knew."

Nitori shushed her. "Be quiet. I think Rin is in a classroom." His blue eyes were filled with worry.

"Why do I have to be quiet then?" Gou sped up in front of him. "I need to tell my brother about a tournament."

Nitori cocked his head. "I-I'd like you to be quiet. I don't want anyone to hear us." Gou could hear fear in his voice. "Matsuoka-senpai likes quiet."

Gou stopped and turned to the first-year. "What's the matter?" She asked.

Nitori shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. I-I just want us to be quiet." He wrapped an arm around his body nervously.

"Are you scared?" She asked. Nitori looked down at his feet.

"Well…." He looked up for a second, and looked back down again. "I'm sorry." He apologized. He sounded pathetic, and Gou just wanted to hug him.

"What for? There's nothing to be scared of." She giggled.

The grey-haired boy groaned. "Please….don't try to fight back. It'll make it worse. I'm sorry I took you down here. I'm sorry for getting you into this." He mumbled, barely loud enough for the youngest Matsuoka to hear it.

The girl barely had time to cock her head in confusion before a voice echoed down the hall. "Oy, Ai. What are you doing here?" A male with his few friends walked down the hall.

Nitori looked down. Gou could see him blushing, knowing that Nitori only liked being called that by Rin. "I-I had to show Ms. Matsuoka where Matsuoka-senpai is." He mumbled, just a little louder than a whisper. Now Gou understood why Nitori asked her to be quiet.

He didn't want some bullies to hear them.

"Oh? So this is the chick Mikoshiba's crazy for? Not much to her." Another male looked her up and down. "She's probably not even a B." He glanced at her chest.

"Leave her alone." Nitori hissed. The leader, a red headed boy, glared at him.

"What's the matter? Afraid that your 'senpai' will get mad if you didn't protect his sister? Well then." With that, he shoved Gou onto the ground. "Obviously, you're not welcome here. Rin just is barely accepted, but only because he's a good swimmer. Other than that, he's a good target." He sneered and glanced over to the boy standing there silently as Gou tried to get up. "Ai here isn't welcome either. He's nothing but a bother to everyone. Can't even go anywhere without depending on Rin." He hissed.

Nitori clenched his fists. "Stop it, Kaede. " He was practically pleading. By this time, Gou had stood up, but was being held back by Kaede's friends. "Leave senpai out of this."

The red-head snarled. "Shut up about your senpai. Is that all you can say?"

"No, but I respect him deeply and I look up to him." Nitori stood there, trying to hold himself back from crying.

Kaede approached the boy, and grabbed him by the hair. "Respect and look up to him? More like you love him." Nitori's face turned pale. Kaede shoved him onto the ground in his friends' circle. Gou had her arms held behind her, and she couldn't do anything but protest. Nitori hit the ground and coughed loudly. "That's right boys," Kaede put his foot on Nitori's back and pushed him back down. "Little Ai here is a fag. Tell them, Ai." He pressed on his back.

"N-no." Nitori refused. He looked up at Gou, who was also pale. She had tears in her eyes.

"N-nitori?" She whimpered.

"I'm sorry." Nitori couldn't help but cry. "I'm not going to say it." A foot hit his side. "Never!" A stomp on his back.

Eventually, Kaede grew bored of it. "Alright then. Prove you're not a fag by hm…" He walked over to Gou and dragged her towards the shaking boy. "Kiss her." He ordered.

Both shook their heads. Kaede laughed. "Looks like Ai is a fag after all." He looked down the hall and smirked. "Oh, Ai. Your pathetic senpai is here."

The first-years turned to see Rin walking down the hall angrily. "Keep your filthy hands off of them!" He snarled.

"Or what?" Kaede laughed, kicking Nitori in the shins. When Rin got to him, Kaede spit at his feet. "Pathetic. Your sister and kouhai aren't really fun. For you saving him, Ai's probably going to repay you by giving you a blow job." He hissed.

Nitori bowed his head as Rin looked over at him. Nitori looked humiliated, still holding back tears. Rin grabbed Kaede by his shirt and slammed him against a wall. "I swear to God, if you hurt Gou, Ai, or anyone ever again, I will hurt you like you hurt them." He whispered into his ear, coming off as a low growl.

Kaede smirked. "But Nitori makes such a cute punching bag." He looked over at him. "Hey Ai, you remember when I made you cough up blood? That was fun!"

"That's it!" Rin yelled and brought his fist back.

Kaede waved a finger. "Uh, uh, uh! I wouldn't do that if I was you~" He giggled.

"Senpai…" Nitori had a meaty arm wrapped around his neck now and one of the thugs was choking him.

"Rin, please don't." Gou begged. One of the boys was pulling on her ponytail and stroking her face.

Rin growled, "Let them go and I won't make your life a living hell. You can do whatever you please with me, but you don't fucking touch Ai or my sister." He let Kaede go. Kaede nodded his head and Rin's friends were released.

"Have fun!" The red head passed by Nitori and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Fag." He hissed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rin sighed as he held both Nitori and Gou's hands. Nitori had broken down after the punks had left and Gou ran to Rin for comfort.

Nitori shrugged. "I could have handled it."

Rin gasped. "Ai! He could have killed you! You could have just told me and I would have handled it!" Rin stopped on the sidewalk to face his kouhai.

Nitori turned his head. "I would have been bothering you." He mumbled.

Rin's arms wrapped around his body, pulling him close. "You will never be a bother to me, Ai. I'll always be there for you."

Gou smiled. "He's right, Nitori. You should have just told us." She approached the hugging two and ruffled Nitori's hair. "Rin will protect you! He does love you, after all!"

Nitori blushed. "But senpai, if they found out we were…you know…they'd just make it worse!" He looked up at Rin.

The red head's brow went up. "So? Why should we care?" He cupped his hands on Nitori's cheeks, squishing them together. "Now be a happy fish." He squeezed them, making Nitori's lips spread apart.

"Swop it." Nitori rolled his eyes. Rin laughed at his ability to talk.

He let go, but he lifted Nitori's chin up and gently kissed him. "Now. What did you learn today?" Rin crossed his arms.

Nitori looked down at the ground, kicking a pebble. He was smiling and blushing. "Always tell someone if something is wrong."

"And?"

"Call for help if I need it."

"And?" Gou perked up.

Nitori rubbed his arm. "That's all I can think of." He looked away, blushing.

Rin grabbed his hand and continued to walk. He looked back at his kouhai and smiled.

"Don't be afraid to say you're my boyfriend."

A/N time: Requested by anon on Tumblr. I'm so sorry if this isn't exactly what you wanted!