Yuki

I look around at my new surroundings, dazed. Everything happened so fast, and I can hardly believe I'm free.

I'm free. I'm free of Akito. Not because of any great strength on my part, but because Shigure, my cousin, has offered me a place to stay other than main house. I've barely spoken to Shigure, only a few odd words here and there. Nothing significant, nothing momentous.

So why would he let me live with him?

It doesn't make any sense.

"And here," he trills. "Is the kitchen, there's the living room and… that's a lot of mess. OK, any questions?" he says, closing the door on the pile of rubbish swiftly. Mutely, I shake my head.

"Ah, yes," he says, as though I've reminded him of something. "And your room is up the stairs, second door on your left."

I nod. Silent.

He regards me for a moment as though he's about to say something else, but then he sighs and points to the stairs. As I walk up them I can feel his eyes on my back, as if he's trying to figure something out.

Who knows what?

I reach my room.

My room… words that used to have such different connotations. Words that used to strike fear into me… words that still do. I guess things don't go away as easily as I'd like, with a simple change of location wiping out the past.

Still, I guess it's a step in the right direction.

Haru

"Please, will you let Yuki live with you, take him away from the place."

Shigure looked at me, almost seriously, although I don't think I'd ever seen him truly serious, although in brief unguarded moments, he did seem to be considering something. Suddenly, his face broke into an amused smile.

"OK, I'll let Yuki live with me," he said, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "On one condition."

"Anything," I said seriously.

"I'll do it if you call me sensei."

I laughed, "Sure."

I've done it. And, surprisingly, it wasn't even that difficult.

But Yuki's safe now. So the how or the what or the when doesn't really matter.

He's reached a safer place.

Shigure

He's a strange boy. I know a little of what he's been through so it's only really to be expected, but still, there's something odd…

It's probably something about how he doesn't talk, not much anyway, I know he went through a period where he didn't talk at all, but even now it's fairly hard to get a word out of him. He said two words to me since I first took him out. One of them was 'Really?' and one of them was 'Thanks'.

And this boy is Ayame's brother, that is strange to say the least.

Yuki was always a sticky topic with us, Hatori saw him the most and once when he brought him up, Ayame had this brief expression that he didn't know who Hatori was talking about. I know Hatori saw it, but he just looked away and changed the subject. I could tell he wasn't happy.

And I think Ayame knew too.

Hatori said he'd come round to check up on Yuki, and I'm sure Haru will.

Aren't I popular?

Still, Hatori is a classic martyr. And he's found a way to blame himself for some of Yuki's sadness and he's clinging on to it. So I think he'll be visiting a fair bit.

I wonder if Aya will come to see him.

AN: Right, here we are. This is my first story that I've posted and will be continued soon, I'll try and update as often as I can. I would really love reviews, I'm fine with constructive criticism and would love to know what people think of my writing :) Please review!