Disclaimer: I don't own People Under the Stairs and never will.

Roach watched with a heavy heart as mommy smacked Alice for this, that, and the other. She didn't need a reason anymore. It hurt Roach as he watched the bruises form but he wouldn't ever give away his position from the vent because he knew that it would make Mommy and Daddy madder and they would take it out on Alice. He also might get hurt. He never got caught or shot but then again there was a first time for everything. He wouldn't have minded if he died if he didn't have that one thing, one person to live for. Alice. He kept her as safe as he possibly could. He brought her medicene when she was sick, rubbed the sore parts of her after she got punished, and made her happy. She took care of him too, she got him food and water and soap and extra blankets during the winter. They needed eachother and it had been that way since he got his tongue cut out. They had grown up together and suffered together and when he got his tongue cut out she had to suffer too. she suffered through his screams and moans as Daddy tortured him first before taking out his tongue and putting him int he cellar. She didn't even get to say goodbye. She thought that he was dead and became numb and depressed for the week he was in the cellar until one day he emerged from her vent right in front of her. At first she thought that she was seeing a ghost but ann innocent peck on the cheek told her otherwise. She kept the secret for a few months until Prince found out how to get in the walls. This scared Roach and he screamed as Prince bit into him and that was when Mommy and Daddy knew he was in the walls. Alice was afraid that he would get hurt until he avaded Daddy for a few months, then she stopped being as afraid for him. She was still afraid for him but she knew he was smart and brave and that he wouldn't let Daddy kill him. She also knew that if he escaped he wouldn't leave without her. He wasn't going to escape though even though he knew how, they were both just too afraid. They didn't know or remember what was out there and they were too afraid to find out. He let out a sigh of relief as Mommy left and slammed the door. He quickly left the vent and ran to her. She cried into his chest not minding his smell or the fact that his ribs were uncomfortable against her face. She cried and he just held her hating himself for a moment for not being able to stop them from hurting her. He was happy that he stopped Daddy from coming into her room at night and watching her sleep. The used to do that with him when he was little and as he got older Daddy started to do things to him. Horrible things that he never wanted to happen to anyone else, especially Alice. He never wanted that to happen to anyone he loved. Yes, loved. He loved her and had been loving her for years. He hoped that she felt the same way. He loved her so much and that made it all the more painful for him but it also drove him. It drove him to his confrontation with Daddy where he told Daddy that he'd set the people under the stairs free and kill him if he ever did to Alice what he did to him. Daddy complied for the most part, he was a bit afraid of Roach, but now it was getting harder and harder for him as Alice dresses grew more and more constricting around her chest and hips. Roach knew that Mommy noticed and that was what set her off most of the time. Daddy noticed too and he tried to resist out of fear for himself and Mommy but it was becoming extremely difficult for him to stay away. Instead of making more attempts to control himself he worked even harder to kill Roach. Roach noticed too and it scared him as he thought about doing things to Alice, some of the same ones that were to him not all that long ago. He didn't know why he was suddenly thinking of Alice like that but it had started around the time he turned thirteen and it didn't stop even as he approached sixteen. He sometimes watched her get dressed even though he knew it was wrong but he couldn't help it. Sometimes when he did that things would happen to him that were knew and a bit scary and he didn't know why they were happening. He wondered if it had something to do with the fact that he had gotten taller as quickly as he did and his voice got even deeper. He wished that he had someone to explain these things to him but no one could. He held Alice close to him as he buried his face in her hair. She was begining to calm down but didn't want to leave his warm embrace. She felt strange as she sat there on her bed in his arms. It wasn't the usual fluttery feeling she felt around him, no, this was something different. Her breathing began to come out more and more quickly and Roach took it as her return to sobbing and he held her closer and kissed her cheek which usually never failed to cheer her up. She moaned a bit and did something very impulsive. She kissed his cheek as he kissed her.

"Uhhliss?[Alice?]" asked Roach quietly. She had never done anything like that before. They both began to blush as they avoided eye contact. Roach kissed her cheek mostly as to calm her down but why did she kiss him? Could she possibly? He hoped she did. He wanted to ask her but he knew that it was useless when most of his words came out half formed and impossible to understand.

"I'm sorry, Roach." said Alice quietly fearing that she had done something wrong. She wasn't sure if it was OK for her to kiss him on the cheek, maybe it was just OK for him to kiss her. Actaully she wasn't even sure if it was Ok to get a kiss on the cheek, Mommy had told her that good girls didn't kiss boys after she told her about when she had imagined her and Roach kissing back when he was still called Daniel. She had been punished for days for thinking sinful thoughts like that about kissing. Roach made an OK sign with his fingers and brushed a lock or brown hair from her face. She blushed and looked up at him. Roach began to sweat as he realized how close they were. They didn't know what came over them at that moment as the gap between them closed. They had only read about kissing in story books and never imagined that it could feel that amazing. They just sat there with their lips resting awkwardly on each other's. They only stoped to break apart for air and at that moment they knew that they loved each other and that love was returned.

"I love you, Daniel." said Alice using his real name as she put her head in his chest. Roach felt a single tear escape his eye as he realized that he couldn't speak the three most important words that could ever be spoken to someone. He settled for pointing to himself, then he put a hand over his heart, then he poinnted at her, then he put his hand on her heart but he took care not to touch the new mounds that had began to take their femine form even though he so desperatly wanted to. He brought his lips onto hers when he realized that she understood what he was trying to say. She kissed him back and that was how they stayed until they heard Mommy approaching. He gave her one last peck and went into her vent the happiest he had ever been.

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It will be continued so don't anybody worry! I just wanted to put some more PUTS fics up because all we have are some really good one shots and that long butb good Roach story. There will be sex between them in later chapters so the rating may change. Just giving you all a heads up.