A fourteen-year-old Kyouji shivered as the biting November wind ripped through his worn coat. He was glad he had found it out behind the department store, where it had been discarded due to one too many holes in the fabric. It was a lot better than he was used to, but it wasn't enough.

Wrapping his arms tightly around himself, he had to wonder what had triggered the backlash on this particular occasion. He hadn't done anything particularly abrasive lately. Hell, he was surprised his father had even noticed he was there long enough to throw him out.

He was losing feeling in his fingers, and was struggling to find some heater or vent that hadn't already been claimed by people who would ask... favors... in exchange for heat.

At that point he would have considered it, demeaning and dehumanizing as it was... but it wouldn't end well. His blood had a nasty habit of killing off or paralyzing those who got even the slightest bit in their bloodstream. This might have been okay if it was just one person, but the predators travelled in groups, and though he could accidentally kill someone in the blink of an eye, he could be easily injured, too.

Kyouji felt a shudder pass through him, though he didn't believe for a second that it was due entirely to the cold. At least in winter he had a reason to bundle up and could easily conceal the scales that jumped to his defense. However, he still got strange looks if he showed up to class and kept his less frayed jacket on. At least his worn clothes fit in with everyone else's.

School had been cancelled due to ice on the roads, and Kyouji thought it was stupid, since most of the students walked to school, anyway. Though the heating system wasn't the best, the warmth of too many bodies occupying the space of a small classroom would be much preferred to this.

A shiver wracked his frame, and Kyouji struggled to stay upright when the drowsiness began to clamp onto his mind.

Sleeping in the cold is bad. Anything cold is bad. Cold... bad...

Was it supposed to take this much energy to breathe?

Kyouji saw a single light approaching, and was confused. Didn't cars have two lights? He didn't even consider moving out of the way, not that he had the energy to, anyway. Luckily, it pulled to a stop before it hit him. The rider looked semi-frantic.

"Hey, have you see-" Brown eyes finally took in what was standing in front of him. "Oh, my God."

The rider quickly leaned the bike down, flicking down the kickstand in what looked like pure habit.

That was dumb, doesn't he know how easily someone could steal-

Kyouji's thoughts were interrupted when the stranger approached him and put his hands on his face.

Kyouji flinched back, because one: it felt like those hands were on fire, and two: no, don't touch. Touch is bad. I'll hurt you. you'll hurt me.

The stranger swore quietly in a language Kyouji almost recognized at the temperature difference between his hands and the face that he was still holding... Burning...

"Hey, can you hear me? Can you understand me?"

Why would he ask that?

Kyouji nodded anyway, his head feeling suddenly very heavy. The hands that were still holding his head up were feeling less like fire, but the trade was the rest of his body was getting colder, less numb.

"Okay." One hand moved to his upper back, where Kyouji could barely feel the warmth through his coat, and the other was removed. Kyouji shivered when the cold air hit his face again, though he could better feel the warmth emanating from the stranger. "We're going to get you somewhere warm, alright?"

Kyouji tried to tell him he'd already tried that, but his tongue was heavy in his mouth, and it was far too exhausting. He just nodded instead. The stranger led him over to the bike, while doing something with his phone with his free hand.

"That little..." A sigh of frustration escaped the stranger, and he shoved the phone back in his pocket, turning his attention back to Kyouji.

He pulled the bike back up to a standing position, tucking away the kickstand with his foot, and climbed on, placing Kyouji in front of him when it quickly became clear he wouldn't be able to hold on in his frozen state.

Kyouji unconsciously leaned back against the warmth behind him, feeling his eyes slipping shut. Warm is good. Sleep when warm.

"Hey, stay with me, buddy. You aren't out of the woods yet."

What woods? There aren't even any trees...

But if the warm stranger wanted him to stay awake, Kyouji would. Everyone wants something. At least this was easy to fulfill.

When the bike was moving, the wind whipped against his face, but Kyouji barely registered it.

Where are we going?

Kyouji tried to voice this question, but couldn't make much noise over the wind, and any noise he managed to create was gently hushed.

"Hang on, we're almost there."

The stranger pulled up beside a tall, nice-looking building and Kyouji was certain the stranger had made a mistake. I don't belong somewhere like this. He must have gotten lost.

He didn't have the energy to protest, though, when the stranger helped him off of the bike and towards the door, fishing in his pockets for keys. He'll figure it out, soon enough.

Stepping through the front door felt like stepping into an oven, and Kyouji recoiled sharply, though he continued to be gently led forward. He wondered for a moment if that was the plan. Is he going to cook me?

"Aunt Cass?" The stranger called out as he began to lead Kyouji up a flight of stairs.

"Tadashi? Did you get Hiro's text? He made it ba-" A woman spotted the two of them. "Oh, what happened?"

She rushed forward, and Kyouji instinctively shrank backwards, though she stopped short of colliding with him.

"He's got mild to moderate hypothermia, and he was just walking around, not going anywhere."

I was going somewhere. I was going to find warmth.

The warmth of the room added to his drowsiness, and Kyouji wondered if he was allowed to sleep.

"I've got some soup on the stove, and I always make extra. Go ahead and sit him down in the dining area, and check his feet and hands."

...what?

The stranger... Tadashi... nodded, and led him over to a chair before taking his hands and pushing back his sleeves, inspecting the tips of his fingers.

They were pale, almost white, and Kyouji could feel them tingling as the temperature of the room was absorbed into them. Tadashi nodded, before crouching down and unlacing his shoes, which were about to fall apart as it was.

He's just doing what the lady told him to...

His toes were in a similar condition to his fingers, though they were distinctly whiter. Nodding again, Tadashi made his way into a side room and returned with a pair of socks. He quickly slipped them on Kyouji's feet, before leading him over to the sink so they could wash their hands under the warm water.

Kyouji could have stood there with his hands under the warm flow of water for hours, but retracted them after the soap was rinsed off. 'That's wasteful. Why would good, warm water be used on you?'

Kyouji hadn't even noticed when he had returned to the table, though it felt like his brain was beginning to thaw, and no longer sat so heavily in his skull. He distantly noticed that he was still shivering, but it wasn't as tiring anymore.

His mind had apparently decided that since he wasn't in danger of becoming an ice sculpture, it was a prime time to remind him he hadn't eaten in...

When did I last eat?

The smell of food only worsened the deep-seated ache in his gut, and he wondered if they would make him leave if he asked for some.

People don't like it when you ask for more than they offer.

Two bowls were set on the table, one in front of Tadashi, and one in front of... him?

Am I in her spot? Am I supposed to move?

"Alright, eat up, you two."

The lady made her way back to the stove, ladling out another bowl for herself.

...that's not how this works... What do they want from me?

The tightness in his stomach made up his mind for him, and he reached for the bowl. He struggled to pace himself and take small bites. He knew what would happen if he ate too quickly, though it was difficult when each spoonful brought a small flare of warmth to his insides. His shivering diminished to an easily manageable quivering, and he was soon setting his spoon in his empty bowl.

He felt the gentle pull of fullness on his stomach, and that, in addition to the warmth of the room, left Kyouji struggling to keep his eyes open.

Tadashi excused himself to wash the dishes, and the kind lady turned to Kyouji.

"Hey, honey. I'm Cass, you can call me Cass, Ms. Cass, Aunt Cass, whatever." She smiled, and Kyouji was surprised to discover he didn't feel the fear that usually accompanied people being 'nice'. "Would you tell me your name?"

"...Kyouji." He suddenly realized he was being rude. "Um, t-thank you for the food."

"Oh, you're very welcome Kyouji. Did I say that right?"

He nodded, and she smiled again. "Do you have somewhere we can take you back to? I'm sure someone's worried about you."

Kyouji bit his bottom lip, contemplating what he could tell her. He decided the truth, or at least some of it, would be appropriate. He shook his head, and felt the slow headache of exhaustion creeping in.

"Not yet." He saw slight confusion on her face, and decided to elaborate. "He'll forget in a week or so. Then I can go back. You don't need to worry."

Kyouji ducked his head slightly as he stood, missing her concerned expression as he made his way to the door.

Just because they can't take me back, doesn't mean they can't be rid of me.

Tadashi was suddenly in front of him. "I can't in good conscience let you go anywhere. Not with the weather like this, and not in the state you're in. At best, you'll get sick. At worst..."

Kyouji instinctively sized him up. The guy in front of him was one, maybe two years older, and only a little taller. He didn't know how much fighting experience he had, but he thought at full strength he could probably hold his own. As it was... at this point a child could take him down, so long as his blood didn't get involved.

And besides, Kyouji realized with a jolt, all he's been is nice, so why even contemplate fighting him?

Sure, you had to watch yourself on the street, but the general populace usually accepted 'no' for an answer.

Do I even want to say no?
...is he still lecturing?

"-and it's started to rain, so there's going to be ice everywhere, even if you can somehow avoid getting wet. You'll likely just become coated in ice, which will kill you, so if I have to duct tape you to the couch to get you to stay, I will."

It's raining? Kyouji glanced out the kitchen window, and sure enough, it was coming down in sheets. Kyouji shivered. I would be out there right now if not for him.

"I-I'll stay."

Tadashi visibly relaxed, and during the time they had been standing there, Ms. Cass had gone and gotten some sheets and was already laying them out on the couch in their living area.

She smiled over at him. "You can sleep here for tonight."

Kyouji didn't know how to respond. What were they after? What was the catch? This doesn't... This never...

He made his way over to the couch, his head ducked so that his hair covered his eyes. He went to remove his outer coat, when the movement caused him to wince, and then freeze.

He didn't grab me that hard, did he?

He hadn't moved fast enough when his dad had ordered him out of the house, since he usually was given a bit of time to pull on clothes and grab money (when he had any). This time had been too sudden, and when his father had grabbed him and thrown him bodily out the door, he had been more focused on the cold that had ripped through his thin jacket and the sound of the deadbolt being drawn to notice the pain and itching sensation that had spread across the expanse of skin where his neck met his shoulder.

Kyouji heard a small gasp and all of his muscles pulled tight in fear, and he looked up to see Ms. Cass with a single hand over her mouth. He started to shake as his mind raced.

This is bad. He doesn't like them; he said never to let anyone see. They'll kill me... Or maybe they'll be merciful and just throw me out into the cold like he did.

His shaking intensified as he backed himself towards a wall. I'll still die, anyway.

"No, no, it's okay, honey." Ms. Cass approached him slowly, with both hands raised, in a way that reminded him of how one would approach a frightened and injured animal.

But that's what I am... Kyouji flinched when his back actually hit the wall, and he instinctively tried to make himself seem smaller.

"Tadashi, why didn't you tell me he was injured?" She seemed... concerned.
When she got to him, she carefully inspected the scaled area, or rather, she seemed focused on the inflamed area of skin that surrounded it. Thankfully, she didn't try to touch it.

"What do you mean?" Tadashi came into view again, before wincing in sympathy. "I'll warm up a corn sack."

What's going on? Kyouji watched Tadashi take a small, fabric bag of something and stick it in the microwave. Why aren't they...

"Kyouji? Kyouji, sweetie, calm down."

It was only then that Kyouji realized he was starting to feel dizzy, and that he had begun to hyperventilate. He struggled to even out his breathing.

"Has this happened before?" She gestured at the scales. "Is this what normally happens?"

Normal? None of this was normal. Unless freakish was normal for a freak.

Kyouji nodded anyway, knowing what she meant. "-but only when I'm hurt... i-it'll go away eventually." If he downplayed it a little, maybe she wouldn't... maybe I could still...

Her eyes softened, and she looked... sad. "Come here." She gently led him to the couch, sitting down with him as Tadashi returned with the small sack.

He held it out towards Kyouji. "I'm just going to place this where the injury is. Tell me if it is too warm."

Kyouji tensed, bracing himself for pain, but Tadashi placed it carefully, and the temperature was such that warmth seeped into the places the sack touched, basically forcing the muscles to relax.

"Okay, just hold it there." Tadashi let go as Kyouji lifted his hand to do so. "It shouldn't grow cold anytime soon, but we can always nuke it in the microwave again."

Kyouji found himself shaking for an entirely new reason.
"Why- why are you-"
so nice?
"-why aren't you-"
hurting me?

But Kyouji couldn't finish either of his questions, and he bit his bottom lip as his eyes began to burn.

"It's okay, honey." Ms. Cass gently pulled him into a hug, and ran her fingers through his hair. "It's going to be okay..."

Exhaustion hit him as the fear-induced adrenalin dissipated, and Kyouji let his eyes finally slip shut as fingers continued to weave themselves through his hair.