A/N: just as a warning, there is a lot of use of the word "retard" towards the end; NOT because i love using that word just for shits and giggles, but because i'm trying to portray a character who doesnt care if they toss the word around. it's just for characterization...we're not in any way using the word just for the sake of using it xD thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks!

The next few weeks went by the same way it usually did-all the kids were having fun, but Ethan was the only one who still preferred to keep his distance away from the excitement during activities and class time. He ate his badly prepared lunch in peace and did group work by himself. There were also some days where he didn't show up to school at all. Red briefly thought this was revenge from the father, but quickly pushed that aside, but instead got more disturbing thoughts that he couldn't possibly fathom. In response to his few missed days, his grades began to drop in math, and Red noticed immediately.

Once again, lunch started like any other day, and the kids began leaving the classroom. Red looked at Ethan who began to appear even more sickly and insecure than he already was; his eye were drooping behind his thick glasses which kept sliding off and eventually remaining in place at the tip of his nose, and his outfits never looked so clean anymore. Not to mention that he wore the same sweatshirt every other day.

"Hey, Ethan? Want to keep me company again?" Red asked him with a soft smile from behind his desk.

Ethan had gotten up to follow the kids but froze in place when Red asked the question. The expression on his face said he wanted to go, but he frowned and turned around instead. "Okay." He shuffled himself back over to his desk and quietly opened up his lunchbox which he retrieved from his cubby.

Red smiled and grabbed his own lunchbox which was slightly bigger than Ethan's tiny metal one, and was filled to the rim with all types of delicious sandwiches. He put the box on Ethan's desk and sat down next to him, pulling his desk chair over. "Ahh, I am starved!"

Ethan neatly spread out his napkin and took out a broken bread roll that fell apart in his hands, with little to no turkey slices on it, and a plastic snack bag filled with crushed crackers. He shyly eyed Red's sandwiches but quickly turned and blocked his vision by placing his hand up to his temple; stuffing the roll in his mouth to find a distraction. He never bothered to respond to Red's comment

"If you want," Red started as he poured himself some strawberry milk, "...you can have a few of my sandwiches. They're delicious, if I do say so myself!" He laughed and watched Ethan's face carefully.

Ethan looked at Red, then at the sandwich, then at Red, then at the sandwich...without a word he took one of Red's sandwich's- a small but stuffed bacon lettuce and tomato on wheat bread sandwich- and began stuffing the wonderfully prepared meal into his mouth, letting out a hum of approval as he nearly finished the whole thing in the matter of seconds.

Red smiled at Ethan. "Do you like them? I made them myself." Red winked as he took a sip of his drink.

Once the sandwich was gone, Ethan was sipping his water quickly afterwards. "You're good at food. It was so very, very good." He began picking up tiny cracker crumbs. "And math is getting hard."

The remark about math caught Red off guard, who was in the middle and chewing his food, but managed to frown in interest. He waited until he swallowed to speak. "How come? Are the problems hard for you?" Red took another bite of his sandwich as he listened intently to the student.

"I don't get it!" Ethan cried and began to move around restlessly in his seat with his hands flapping as he did so, almost knocking over his drink. "There are too many numbers and signs and I hate it. I just do, I hate it. That's it."

While Red held his hand out in order to stifle his motions, he pouted in thought. "Hmm, yes, I understand that might seem confusing..." Red nodded slowly as he tapped his chin. "But, we have to try! Maybe the way I've been explaining it is difficult for you to understand. But I can try to change that." Red grinned towards the boy. "Will you help me with that?"

Ethan slowly sank down and rested his head on the desk before pushing his food away. "No. I don't like math."

Red frowned in response. "Yes, I don't like it either. These numbers get all mixed up when I think too much about it as well. But, unfortunately, we have to do it! We gotta show your dad how good you are doing in school right?"

Ethan sat up abruptly and clapped his hands together from the brilliant idea that came to his mind. "You! you can tutor me!" His eyes were wide and he was looking at Red straight on. "You're my favorite teacher too."

Red giggled into his hand. "That's a great idea! I would love to!" Red grabbed Ethan's hand and shook it. "And thank you for saying that I am your favorite teacher; I'm truly honored, Ethan." Red smiled softly as he sat back in his chair, motioning for Ethan to grab another sandwich.

"This is the best day ever." Ethan picked up another sandwich and began to eat it happily with Red laughing as they both finished their lunches together in comfortable silence.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The father wearily walked up the cracked path to his front door of his decrepit bungalow house with chipped paint, nearly collapsed off it's foundation from the terrible shape it was in; dangerous cracks on the front stoop, the concrete from the pathway pulled up from the ground in certain spots, and noticeable wooden planks nailed over a couple of broken windows. He was covered in dust and oil, the way he comes home every night after a long day at the humdrum car repair shop located in the valley of ashes. (1) Stupid job. Stupid job that he has to work long hours for to get enough money to put food on the table every day. If it weren't for that kid of his, he wouldn't be in this situation.

He approached the screen door and heard faint voices coming from far off inside as he spotted the dim light glow past the door frame which led to kitchen. Immediately alerted, he rolled up the sleeves of his flannel, threw open the door and stormed through the cluttered, small house. "Ethan! ETHAN! Who the hell is in there with-" He froze and glared in the kitchen in disbelief. "Huh?"

Red looked up from his cup of tea as he noticed the new person in the room, slightly alarmed but still managed still give him a welcoming smile. "Ah, good afternoon. I hope I'm not intruding." Red said sheepishly as bowed his head in apology.

"...No..." Blue mumbled slowly, narrowing his eyes at the smaller man sitting at the kitchen table with his son, who was intently working on his homework. "What's, uh...goin' on here?"

"We're doin maaath." Ethan droned before looking up with a proud grin and quickly went back to his workbook, scribbling down the last of his answers.

Red nodded at Ethan when Blue stared on. "That's right! Ethan has been working very hard for the past few days, so we both decided that I should tutor him so his math will get better; and don't worry about money. I am more than happy to do it as a form of extra help. That means I can also monitor his-" Red paused, careful not to mention his dyslexia. "...his language barrier."

"..." Blue frowned in distaste and turned around to open up the fridge to look for anything decent or nothing expired to drink-and when he found nothing, he moved on to a cupboard with no door and took an almost empty box of cereal. "I'll be in the other room." He stated and walked out of the room, the terrible aura Red felt from him leaving as well, letting the smaller man gradually relax.

While Red watched the kitchen exit in a worried trance, he was snapped out of it when Ethan slammed his pencil on the table. "FINISHED!"

Red clapped as he congratulated the boy. "Good job, Ethan! You did very well. Can I check it?"

Ethan, as he was scanning over his work, gasped and began to furiously erase an answer to a question. "NO WAIT!" after quickly correcting his mistake, he pushed the book towards Red. "Okay."

Red stifled a giggle and nodded towards him. "Thank you!" He grabbed his red pen from his satchel which was placed by his feet as he began checking all the answers. After about two minutes of listening to the silence of the room, and the droning ticking of the clock, Red sat back frowned down at the book. "Hmm, Ethan, I have a problem..."

The boy's joyous expression fell instantly, his glasses sliding down his nose, and Ethan stared at Red from over the rims. "What...?"

Red's grim features instantly broke out into a bright, beaming smile. "You see, I think I lost our little bet and I owe you a big chocolate bar tomorrow! You got all the questions right! Good job, Ethan!" Red laughed at Ethans's shocked face.

Ethan's face radiated with utter joy at the unexpected news. "YEAH!" He quickly jumped from his chair and ran into the living room where his father was sitting in an armchair "DAD, did you hear that? I got all the questions right! A-and I'm getting a prize to-"

"Ethan, PLEASE!" His father manged to shout over his son's outburst and scolded him instead of praising. "Quit yellin' I'm trying to rest! Finish your work. Go!" Like an owner training a dog, he snapped his finger back to the kitchen door.

Ethan blinked a few times as he grew upset, and he began to tug and pull at his hair in frustration as he marched back into the kitchen with a huff, where Red was nervously chewing on the inside of his cheek in a daze, waiting. "STUPID!"

"Now, now, Ethan. Your daddy is tired after working a long day..." he motioned for Ethan to come sit next to him again in his original seat. "You can show him during dinner, okay?"

"Dinner. There will be no dinner." Ethan growled and began pulling his hair harder and in tighter clumps. "There...there is never any dinner!"

Red began to gently pull Ethan's hands away from his hair by helping his clenched fingers slowly uncurl from the dirty knots. "Oh, I'll cook dinner tonight, don't worry. Now don't pull your hair, you're going to mess up your handsome look." He giggled.

Ethan sniffled and blinked away his tears. "You're making dinner?" He asked in shock.

Red nodded and smiled at him. "Sure! I think you deserve a well cooked meal...you can help if-"

"Sorry, your teacher has got to go now." Ethan's father came back in and tossed the box in the garbage, stuffing it in to keep it from overflowing.

"Heeeeey!" Ethan whined and kicked his legs. "WE WERE GONNA MAKE DINNER!"

"I really don't mind, I enjoy making dinners." Red immediately broke in, frantically reminding himself to stay calm and keep his voice even.

"It's not that." He grabbed the knob of the back door, that wasn't closed all the way in the first place, and held in wide open. "I just don't want you in my house anymore. I don't need you, and he certainly doesn't need you." He pointed a finger at his son which made the boy self conscious and sink down into his chair.

"...Now leave."

That sudden burning sensation that Red felt in his chest was back from when he first met this man, flaring more violently than ever. The small man scowled at the father and abruptly stood up, knocking his chair backwards.

"Listen, I don't care what you want. But I do care about what Ethan wants. You would rather want you AND your son to starve to death than to swallow your pride and let me help?"

"SHUT UP!" He bellowed, a little shaken much to Red's surprise, and noticed his son cowering from the shouting. "Ethan, go to your room. Don't come out until I say so."

Ethan began to breathe heavily but he quickly managed to stumble off the chair, run around his father down the hallway to his room.

Red mentally apologized to Ethan, taking the small opportunity to glance sadly off in the direction he left, and promised himself he would make it up to him as he had watched the boy lumber out of the room in tears. The opportunity now gown, Red menacingly resumed his glaring contest with the most stubborn man he had the misfortune to meet.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" The man prowled around Red. "Why are you getting so involved with my son? He doesn't need any help! I don't know why he's in that retard class anyway! And then you just come into my house, without my permission, and think you can just...help him, or something?!"

Red's face remained knitted into a frown as he was now spreading out all his observations; this man was obviously angry for the most pointless reasons, for he has the worst anger issues, and is only picking a fight to feel superior to this strange man whom his son is looking up to instead of his own father. Through clenched teeth, Red took a big, shaky breath, as the eyes of the prowling father bore right through his head.

"I am here because I want to help Ethan. He is a very smart boy. He's not in a retard class. He's only there because he lacks the confidence to overcome his fear of numbers and words and let him face his Dyscalculia and pdd-nos to start a life with those disabilities. And the fact that you are so acting so degrading towards your son isn't making it any easier for him! I apologize for intruding in your house. You are completely right! But it is my job as a teacher and as a HUMAN BEING to help children in need who are abandoned and mentally abused like you are doing to your poor son!"

Red took a final breath and closed his eyes as he began to calm his mind and nerves, keeping his back straight and fists clenched. Never before has he been this angry. His eyes softened towards the man once he opened them. "I am only here to help. Like I said, Ethan's a smart boy and he can do so much more...but only if you let him..."

The man trembling in front of his was ready to explode. "Don't you fucking dare tell me how to treat my kid...!" His eyes were darting in desperation, the veins in his temple and neck were being strained by the second as he began to sweat.

Red would have smirked if he had the proper confidence to pay the price of physically taunting the broken man in front of him. He has clearly gotten through to him and he was lacking evidence to back up his argument because everything this man; this small, petite, totally not intimidating man said, was true.

"No, fuck you...I didn't ask for him to be stupid, didn't ask to be stuck with him...get out of my house. Leave me alone." He was out of energy, simply drained out. Ignoring his broken and ineffective speech, the father turned away and started to stomp out of the room, only to slow down his pace and sink into his old arm chair, pressing his face into his hands and slouching over, cursing under his breath as the entire vicinity of the house grew dead silent.

Red didn't make a move towards the door. He remained standing in his spot in the kitchen, still a bit shaky from the adrenaline that over came him and scared for the possibilities that could happen if he left or stayed. Instead, he walked into the living room, looking at the man who was sitting in despair.

Red bit his bottom lip and shyly rubbed his arm as he approached the man. "I-I know you never asked for this, but...neither did Ethan..." Red gently pulled the father's hands away from his face and looked him in the eyes while he crouched down in front him, like he was Red's student. "So why don't you help your son go trough this, instead of punishing him for something he didn't do..."

"You don't understand." The man almost spat when he glare angrily at Red through his angry, wet eyes. His furrowed eyebrows began to twitch as all the muscles in his body began to give out.

"You wouldn't...just imagine lovin' a woman so much you'd do anythin' for her, just to find out that the kid she had as a result from a broken condom, is retarded. She'll say she's goin out shoppin' and she leaves you behind clueless to raise that thing..." The man inhaled deeply and hid his face behind his hands again, growling in frustration before muttering on.

"Can't believe I'm tellin' you this shit...I'm such a miserable fuck sometimes I just..." He sighed. "I wish that kid was normal."

Red repositioned himself so he sat on his knees in front of the man. "I do understand, actually...but like I said; it's not Ethan's fault. The only one who's at fault here is his mother who decided to leave you and Ethan all on your own to take care of your son, which I can imagine is quite difficult, especially if your child is diagnosed with a disability like that... but, please, understand that he is normal." Red stressed the last word, squeezing the father's knee to emphasize his point. "Pdd-nos is something he can live with perfectly. It just depends on the way you act with it. He is a normal kid, and as any normal kid. He is trying to get his father's attention, which he so desperately needs..."

The room fell silent again, besides from the soft and violent breathing coming from the two lonely figures in the dark depths of the living room. The father roughly dried his eyes with his sleeves, startling Red out of his moment of peace. "He'd want a...shitty father like me? Seems to me that someone like you deserves him more...I'm always workin', I'm always tired...I cant spend any time with him even if I wanted to."

"You are not a shitty father." Red quickly retorted back, staring at him with stern eyes. "You are working so hard to provide the best care for your son! You're already helping your son without noticing! You just made some bad decisions on how to act with him, but its never too late to try..." Red smiled softly at the man, giving a small, tentative shrug with his shoulder. "He really likes it when he gets compliments. Even that is a good start..."

"...I'll try." The father grumbled and avoided eye contact with Red, similar to how Ethan does it, but just out of sheer embarrassment. "I didn't think...I would ever get along with him. With the way he is. Maybe...yeah, maybe I can try."

Red nodded and gave him a huge, encouraging grin. "That's the spirit! You can start as I'll make you two some food...i-if you don't mind that I stay and cook, at least. I think you guys deserve it.

Blue stayed silent and bowed his head as Red stood up to leave when he didn't get an answer saying he couldn't. Right as he was about to leave the room,

"...I'm Blue, by the way."

Red turned around, surprised, but couldn't fight the tugging urge to smile on his lips. That little act of introducing himself was possibly the kindest thing that man has ever done to him yet. Just like Ethan, this man will become a process of slowly knocking down and rebuilding back up again, and Red was excited.

"My name is Red. And it's a pleasure to meet you."

Blue finally made eye contact with Red, although he didn't smile, bad at least he got to close his eyes, relax and feel relieved for the first time in years.

(1) lmao references are always great to guess