Chapter 1

~Seguchi Takano~

The final bell rang and I sat up from the roof's cold concrete and prepared to leave school. I waited about 10 minutes before heading down the roof stairs to make sure nobody saw me. The stairway to the roof was dangerously close to the teachers' office so I had to make a quick and sharp turn down the closest hallway and find my way out from there. As I quickly turned the corner I ran into someone going the opposite direction. We both fell hard after bumping heads.

"Ah…" I groaned, rubbing my head. "Gomen*…" I apologized quietly.

"Sumi masen*..." He echoed up at me holding his forehead.

It seems cliché to say but I really felt like cupid's arrow had just struck me. This boy,…he was so cute. He had big deep blue eyes and jet black hair that laid just at his shoulders. Both of which contrasted drastically to his pale white skin. I couldn't help blushing at the sight of his face.

"Oh." He said with a smile. "It's you."

I felt my heart sink into my stomach as I was reminded of my reputation. That's right, I'm the son of the yakuza leader in terrorizing our town. And everybody knows it.

The boy stood up and dusted off his pants. As he did so I prayed he would leave me alone and walk away.

"Kochi*," He said, hand stretched out to me.

I looked up confused. He chuckled and reached down and grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

"Seguchi Takano-san correct?" He asked.

I nodded slowly, still confused. Why was he being so nice? Why was he still talking to me?

"My name is Kazuki Yuki. Yoroshiku*." He smiled as he held his hand out for me again, this time to shake.

I kept my hands at my side. "…Aren't you scared…?" I almost whispered.

"Scared?" He asked and then paused a moment. "Oh! I see… No actually. I'm not afraid of you." He smiled again.

I looked up at him surprised. "But…why?" I asked. He was making no sense. He knew who I was, he knew the rumors, and here I am questioning his motives myself and he still isn't backing down? What's wrong with this guy?

His smile only grew in my questioning. "Because I want to be your friend."

I stood there in awe at his words. He was either brave or stupid to use that word in reference to me. At that time I wasn't sure which feeling it was that I felt, happiness…or fear. But I knew one thing for sure: I was going to protect Yuki-chan from my father.

8th Grade

~Kazuki Yuki~

Over the course of 2 years, Takano and I built a strong friendship. He was never anything like the rumors suggested and much more than an evil man's son. I wish he hadn't been born to the life he had but nothing could change that so all I could do was be there for him. Takano told me every story that he could remember of his father ruining his life. His father was truly a cruel man... Those stories were why he couldn't let his father find out about me. I knew all this but I still invited Takano to come to my house when his father randomly took week long trips to another town. It was a chance for him to get away. After all, it was the least I could do after he's provided me a safe haven so many times.

My father wasn't particularly an alcoholic but he could be dangerous when drunk. He blamed himself a lot when times got rough and so he took to drinking. He would often get angry and sometimes violent. My mother used to stay in my room during those nights and lock my door. My father would yell and bang on my door all night until he passed out. Some nights that was all he did and it only lasted a few hours. Other nights he would take to throwing things to the point where we decided not to keep very much glass or china in the house. Up until I was 10 that's what we would do and then after I turned 11 my mother had me leave the house for my safety. I usually went to a nearby park, stayed clear of police, and then returned in the early morning hours getting just a few more hours of comfortable sleep before going to school. I never particularly hated my father, not like Takano-kun does his, but I've always wished he'd change for the better.

Unfortunately, while I had Takano over to visit, my father was not experiencing that change. My mother rushed into my room looking nervous and panicked.

"Okasa*?" I questioned her.

"Yuki, take Takano-kun out the house for tonight okay?" She said to me in a quick breath. "Perhaps you two could go to your house Takano-kun?" She asked politely, a nervous smile on her face.

"Of course. " Takano said politely returning a smile.

"Good…" She let out a sigh of relief before kissing both our foreheads goodbye and telling us to be safe.

I normally spent 3-4 nights of a month outside on nights like this since I was 11 until I met Takano one night when my father's drunk night had crossed paths with the week Takano's father was away. Some time after I met Takano we ran into each other on my way to the convenience store my father owned to get some food. At the time Takano had never heard about my father being drunk the way he was. He questioned my being out in the middle of the night but I could find no excuse to give him. Without asking anything else he took my hand and we walked to his house. I felt so much comfort in having a place to go that I cried the whole way there. From then on my mother left me in his care on these nights. Even on days when his father was home he found ways to sneak me in and be there for me.

After packing clothes for the night we left the house through my bedroom window so we didn't run into my father on the way out. As we started our way toward Takano's house I heard a crash from my house and immediately stopped and turned around. I stared back at the house, worry and fear making its way into my chest again.

'I should go back' I thought to myself. I always had the fear that one day I would return home and find my mother lifeless on the floor. As the thought crossed my mind a tear rolled down my face.

But as though he sensed the tears on my face without seeing them, Takano grabbed my hand tightly.

"She will be alright…" He assured me softly. "Ikimashou*."

And just like the first night he took me home I squeezed his hand and cried the whole way there. After arriving to his house I laid in his bed and cried as he sat next to me and pet my hair comforting me as he always had.

"Tonight is no different from any other night. She will be okay…" He reassured me.

I nodded and drifted off to sleep as he continued to pet my hair. And just like every night like tonight, I prayed for my mother's safety and dreamt of better days.

~Seguchi Takano~

I pet his soft hair and gently soothed him to sleep. His sleeping face was so peaceful and innocent. I wiped the tears from his face and caressed his cheek.

"Yuki-kun…" I called softly to see if he had completely fallen asleep. I waited a moment and after hearing no reply. "Kuso*…" I swore under my breath as I leaned down kissed his sleeping lips.

I cursed myself every time I kissed him like this. It felt wrong to take advantage of him when he was so vulnerable. And every time I told myself it was the last time. But every time he fell asleep next to me like this in my bed… his face, wet from tears, glimmering in the dim light; lips a sweet light pink, slightly parted; black silk rippling from pillow to pillow… it was all again too much to bare. And so I lose myself in those sleeping lips, secretly hoping that one day they will belong to me.

I turned off the lights and snuggled next to my first love, my best friend. I kissed him one more time and then laid next to him and fell asleep. That night I dreamt of his lips and much more. Although that dream almost made me climax right next to the object of my erection, it was still worth every throbbing pump of blood that woke me that following morning.