After escaping, Ritsu found himself in a park. It was dark out, and he was cold, and his feet were hurting him, but he refused to stop until he was absolutely certain that no one was following him. The only thing that caused him to finally halt was when he accidently collided with a person and the force of the impact knocked him down.

"Are you okay?" the stranger asked as he offered his hand to the terrified Hybrid.

As Ritsu looked up he was surprised to see that the strange man he hit was another Hybrid, "Pl-please help me."

The other Hybrid seemed to suddenly realize Ritsu's lack of clothes and he pulled out his cell phone and used the flash light on it to get a better view of the Hybrid who looked emaciated and had badly cut feet. The Hybrid realized immediately what Ritsu's predicament was, "Come with me, I'll get you to a clinic." He urged still holding out his hand to Ritsu.

Ritsu wasn't sure if he could trust the older Hybrid, but he knew that his adrenaline rush had fully flickered out and he had no other option if he hoped to escape the men who had held him captive for so many years. Accepting the man's hand, he pulled the Chimera up and then picked him up before he swiftly moved to his nearby car where he placed Ritsu in the back seat so he could hide and the older man handed Ritsu his jacket to cover up with.

As they drove away, the man suddenly asked, "By the way, what is your name?"

"R-Ritsu. Onodera Ritsu."

Hearing that name caused the older Hybrid to slam on his breaks suddenly and Ritsu heard the man's breathing become shaky. He nearly cried out in surprise when the Hybrid turned on the inside car lights and grabbed his face. Ritsu felt uncomfortable at being stared at by the man, but when he looked into the Hybrid's warm brown eyes, he was certain he had seen the man before.

"Do you know me?"

"N-no." Ritsu still was unsure if he had ever actually met the Hybrid before.

"My name is Takano Masamune. My parents divorced before I graduated high school, my name used to be Saga Masamune. Is that name familiar?"

"Saga? S-Saga-sempai!" Ritsu suddenly felt a clarity wash over him.

He recalled his first love vividly; raven black hair, light brown eyes, an aloof demeanor, a low quite voice, soft lips, hot body temperature, gentle hands, and… Ritsu's heart fluttered upon realizing that the man who rescued him was none other than his lover from high school. "He looks a bit different now, he's a little older, and his voice is deeper, and he's wearing glasses now; I think his scent is slightly different, probably because he's living alone now, but I'm certain that this man is Saga-sempai." To confirm his theory, Ritsu brushed Masamune's bangs aside to reveal the large, nasty scar on the left side of his forehead from when Masamune had tried so hard to save him. Realizing that he was back with his lover made the tears flow freely from Ritsu's eyes.

Masamune also noted Ritsu's features, before his lover had been so cute and naïve, but currently all innocence had vanished from his eyes probably years ago. Ritsu had also lost a lot of weight and was undoubtedly malnourished, his hair was the same color but much longer and horribly matted due to neglect; he had no doubt that they'd have to cut off his hair and let it regrow. While his eyes lost the spark they once had, they were still the same shade of light green he remembered. "I finally found him, my Ritsu." Masamune nearly cried but he pushed his emotions aside, "I can celebrate later, I need to get him to a clinic now."

During the ride, Ritsu recalled the day he was taken. He had been dating Masamune for a few months and the two normally hung out at the library until closing if Masamune's parents were home, as Masamune didn't want Ritsu to listen to his parents' marriage falling apart. On that day, Ritsu wondered if Masamune would seduce him in the library again as he had the past couple of days. While Ritsu had been concerned that they would be caught one day, Masamune seemed unfazed, but at that moment he was entirely focused on their current study session.

Ritsu was having trouble with his history project and decided to take a look at some books for reference. As he moved towards the book shelves he noticed the library door was open, "That's odd, usually the door is closed. Is it jammed perhaps? If Saga-sempai does anything to me, with the door open like that, someone is bound to see it if they just happen to be walking by. I need to fix that door."

Ritsu stepped outside the library to try pushing the door close, but the moment he stepped out into the hall, a large strange man grabbed him. Ritsu knew that as a Hybrid, he was more likely to be kidnapped than humans and he immediately assumed the man's intentions, "Saga-sempai!" Ritsu cried out for his lover to save him.

Masamune appeared nearly instantly and attacked the man who held the boy captive. For a moment it did seem that Masamune would win against the man as he wasn't able to fight back without letting go of Ritsu, but neither had noticed the second man who caught Masamune off guard and hit the older Hybrid hard in the head with a fire extinguisher. The impact knocked Masamune out cold instantly and he fell to the ground seemingly lifeless. Ritsu hadn't been certain at the time whether they had killed Masamune as he didn't see him breathing and a pool of blood started to flow from his head; the men didn't allow Ritsu the opportunity to check on his lover either, as they gagged and tied him up before they dragged him out of the nearly deserted school.

"I really thought they had killed him at the time, and yet I kept assuring myself that he was alive…" Ritsu's tears seemed endless as he tried to wipe them away, "I thought they had killed you back then."

"No, I refused to die because if I did then I couldn't save you, though I suppose I failed to do so after all."

"You did save me though. The thought that I'd be back with you was the only thing that kept me going. I only escaped because I wanted to see you again. I really thought they killed you but I didn't want to believe it. What happened to you after that?"

Masamune didn't respond for a while, but when he did, Ritsu thought the man sounded quieter than before, "Let's talk about that later."

Ritsu fell silent and the drive continued with an awkward air about them until they got to the clinic. Masamune carried Ritsu inside and set him down on a chair while he went to gather the papers they needed to fill out. Masamune helped Ritsu fill out the forms to the best of his ability, but they hadn't filled out much before they were called back. Masamune was about to let Ritsu go alone for privacy, but Ritsu clinged to him desperately and Masamune stayed with him.

The doctor looked over Ritsu thoroughly upon hearing that the young man had been a victim of sex trafficking. She checked Ritsu's vitals, examined him and tested him for S.T.I.s and took care of his injured feet which were in need of several stitches. Ritsu was obviously uncomfortable, but having Masamune there with him and encouraging him made the process a bit easier. She gave Ritsu several shots and a few pills to make sure that he didn't catch anything later on, "I don't see any signs of S.T.I.s, I am of course seeing signs of sexual trauma though, but just to be on the safe side I'll give you the medicine anyway."

She also confirmed what Masamune thought and said that Ritsu's hair was too matted to keep and she took it upon herself to trim his hair, not shaving him completely, but not leaving him with much hair left. Before she let them go, she requested to have an ultra sound done to check Ritsu's womb.

Masamune recalled that back in high school, Ritsu had told him that he was a Chimera, but as Chimeras could only have one litter, he wondered if Ritsu was still a Chimera. The ultra sound did show that Ritsu still had his womb even after nearly a decade of sexual abuse, and she explained that Ritsu was likely infertile despite being a Chimera, "The organs themselves don't look unhealthy so it's probably a blockage of some sort. If you do wish to be fertile then there's an operation and some treatments you can try when you decide you do want to have a litter, there would be some more tests involved though."

Ritsu didn't respond. In high school he had always wanted to have a litter with
Masamune, but while he was being brutally raped so many times he hoped that he was infertile, "I wished for it and I got it. I'm a terrible person for regretting this now."

"I'll call in a few days with the results from the tests I took, but we're done for now so I'll go ahead and call a shelter for him."

"No! I wanna go home with Takano-san!" Ritsu clung to the man once more.

"Is that alright for him to come home with me? He's not mentally stable." Masamune tried to calm the Hybrid down by stroking his head softly

"Well so long as he's not a danger to himself or others he doesn't have to be committed, and he's not very healthy right now, but it's not severe enough for him to be hospitalized. But if you're still reluctant I can call the shelter."

"No. If he feels safe with me than I'll take him."

"Very well. I'll call you in a few days once I get the results back from the tests. Before you leave I can give him a mild tranquilizer to keep him calm. I would also recommend him seeing a therapist."

"Do you have any one in mind specifically?"

"I can give you a referral for one who specializes in cases like Onodera-san's."

"Thank you." Masamune nodded before he looked down to Ritsu, "Ritsu, do you want to accept the tranquilizer? Do you think you can calm yourself down?"

"M-maybe I should take the tranquilizer." He mumbled in response.

After a few minutes they left the clinic and drove in silence for quite some time before Masamune decided to see if Ritsu was still with him, "Are you feeling okay, Ritsu?"

Ritsu clearly hadn't been expecting Masamune to speak as he flinched upon hearing his voice and his grip on Masamune's coat tightened; he had refused to wear the scrubs the doctor had offered him, as if Masamune's coat was the only thing that kept him grounded, "Ah, I'm okay I guess. I am feeling a bit sleepy though."

"Undoubtedly it's a combination of the tranquilizer and all you've been through."

"This is the first time I've felt this safe…"

Ritsu's voice trailed off and Masamune changed the subject hoping to spare Ritsu from the past, "I'll stop by the convenience store to grab some underwear for you and tomorrow I'll go get you some proper clothes and some shoes. You should stay at my apartment and try to rest."

"You're going to leave me?" Ritsu was suddenly alarmed, despite the tranquilizer.

"It won't be for long, but you won't be alone, I'll have my good friend Kirishima come over to look after you, but if you start to feel uncomfortable while I'm gone just call me and I'll come back as fast as I can, okay?"

Ritsu still didn't look comfortable at the idea of Masamune leaving, but he knew it was necessary, "Okay." He murmured.

Once the short stop to the convenience store was out of the way, Masamune drove Ritsu to his building and carried him inside of the apartment, "This is my apartment. I've been living here for quite a few years."

Ritsu looked around the place as Masamune carried him around. While it was not a large apartment, it also wasn't cramped, and it was neatly organized, and best of all it smelt like Masamune, "It already feels like home to me."

"Are you hungry, Ritsu? I can make something light for you to eat."

"N-no. I'm really tired though, can we go to bed?"

"Yes, I don't mind; I know it's been a long night for you." Masamune agreed, "First let's take a shower, I'm sure it'll help you feel better."

"Mm." Ritsu was anxious to shower and try to wash the filth of the other men off of him.

Due to his injured feet, Masamune had to help Ritsu shower, but the younger Hybrid didn't mind and after drying off, Masamune gave Ritsu a shirt to wear for the night. It had been a long time since Ritsu had worn clothes and while the sensation of cloth against his skin again felt odd it also felt very reassuring. By the time Masamune had put Ritsu to bed, he was almost asleep, but sensing Masamune about to leave his side, Ritsu jolted awake, "You're going to leave?"

"Only for a moment, Ritsu; I want to call Kirishima before it gets any later. It's alright if you fall asleep though, you should try to get as much rest as you can."

Ritsu accepted Masamune's response and let the man go to make the call. "Masamune? What is it? This is a very late hour to be calling." Kirishima Takafumi groaned on the other end.

"I found him."

"What?"

"I found Ritsu."

Takafumi didn't say anything for the longest time until he finally found his voice once more, "How is he?"

"He's still alive, but…" Masamune hated how much the men that abducted him had changed him, and it was a very raw wound that burned to pick at.

"I imagine he's very ill and traumatized." Takafumi acknowledged.

"He is mentally unstable and he's all skin and bone… his hair was so matted it had to be cut off and he's malnourished." Masamune fought to keep his voice steady, "I was able to take him home though, despite that."

"That's good."

"I need to get him some clothes though. I can't leave him alone though, not in that state."

"So you want me to look after him?"

"Can you?"

"I was going to come over anyway to drop off Sorata before my business trip on Monday I don't see why I can't expend a few hours."

"Just remember that he is very fragile right now—"

"I know, Masamune. Don't worry; I know how to handle those like him, thanks to my in-laws line of work."

"Thank you." Masamune disconnected the call and returned to his bedroom, hoping that Ritsu would already be sleeping.

It appeared that Ritsu had tried to stay up for Masamune but failed and had fallen asleep in an awkward position, "Don't sleep like that now, you'll feel all stiff in the morning." Masamune scolded softly as he maneuvered the younger Hybrid into a much more comfortable sleeping position.

Ritsu didn't stir and Masamune settled in bed next to him before gently cuddling the younger man to him, "I'll never let you go again, Ritsu." Masamune murmured as he allowed himself to drift off as well.

The next morning Ritsu jerked awake upon seeing his unfamiliar surroundings, "Where is this?"

"Oh you're awake." Masamune suddenly entered the room.

"It wasn't a dream then? I really am here with Saga—er no, Takano-san."

"Are you okay, Ritsu? You look pale." Masamune surprised the Hybrid by softly placing his hand on the side of Ritsu's face and gently stroking his cheek with his thumb.

Ritsu blushed darkly and his heart sped up as he started to feel very hot, "Y-yeah. I'm fine."

"I'm making breakfast; I want you to eat a little bit, we have to start slowly reintroducing food into your system."

"Mm."

For breakfast, Masamune gave Ritsu a small portion of rice and a little bit of egg and cheese for protein. "Wow! The rice is so soft and fluffy Takano-san, and the food is so warm!" Ritsu beamed.

"Don't eat it too fast; you'll get sick if you do."

"I won't."

"Would you like something to drink? I'm having coffee but I think you should stay away from caffeine for a while. How about some ginger tea?"

"Okay."

"Kirishima should be over after breakfast, he's bringing Sorata with him. Do you remember Sorata?"

"Oh, that cat right? The black and white kitten I saw you rescue? You still have him?"

"Cats do live for a long time with proper care. I share him with Kirishima now though."

"Why is that?"

"While searching for you, I was unable to properly take care of him. I met Kirishima in college and we became friends and he suggested that I allow him to take care of him. Eventually Sorata became attached to him, and since Kirishima had a family who were able to spend more time with him than I was, I decided to let Kirishima keep him, but he said that Sorata missed me and so we've been sharing him."

"You were really looking for me for all these years?"

"Of course. Did you think I'd ever give up on you?"

Ritsu went silent as his heart started to beat harder, "He really did try to find me the whole time." Ritsu found his voice once more, "S-so is that why you were in that area?"

"Since that day I had been going to all of the most deplorable areas in Japan to find you. I've found many brothels with kidnapped Hybrids, but I never found you. I've searched Tokyo before so I never expected you to end up here."

"Yeah, they moved me around a lot… I guess they'd have to in order to make sure no one recognized me as the heir to my parents' company." Recalling those unpleasant memories made Ritsu's hands shake and his chest began to feel tight.

"Ritsu, you don't have to talk about what happened if you don't want to, but if you ever need me I'll always be here for you." Masamune assured as he softly stroked Ritsu's hair.

Ritsu allowed the older Hybrid's words to sink in for a moment before he spoke up again, "Takano-san, what happened after they took me?"

"What do you mean?"

"What happened to you? You said you'd tell me today."

"Maybe it'll be better to tell you after Kirishima's visit."

"Why?"

"I don't want you to get worked up over something like that before Kirishima comes over."

"Did something really bad happen?"

Masamune remained silent for a long time, but the quiet was disturbed by the sound of the door being unlocked and footsteps coming forward. Ritsu froze in place upon seeing a large and intimidating Hybrid entering the apartment. "Masamune, I brought Sorata and his food, the kind you give him is too rich, he's getting fat."

"He's already fat."

"He is not; his fur is just thickening up for the winter." Takafumi then noticed Ritsu, "So this is Onodera?"

"Yes. Ritsu, are you okay?"

"Huh?" hearing Masamune suddenly refer to him, pulled Ritsu out of his trance and he realized he had been clinging to Masamune's shirt so tightly that his knuckles had turned ghostly pale, and his body was shaking, and he was wheezing, "Ah, s-sorry." Ritsu quickly released the man and sipped his tea nervously.

"Ritsu, this is Kirishima Takafumi. Kirishima, this is Onodera Ritsu."

"I suppose I should have announced myself first. I hadn't realized he'd be up by now." Takafumi apologized as he set Sorata down.

"Well I'll head out now that you're here. His feet were cut up from escaping so you'll have to carry him around."

"Ah! Th-that's fine I'll walk."

"Don't be ridiculous; you can't get anywhere on those feet with all the stitches they put in."

"I don't mind." Takafumi also added expressionlessly.

"B-but it just seems so inconvenient."

"It's fine." They both assured, exasperated.

"Really it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Would you prefer to crawl everywhere instead? That would be hardly dignifying either." Takafumi pointed out.

Ritsu had a feeling that the man was trying to be gentle, but his stern face and intimidating aura was doing little to put him at ease; still, knowing that the man was a Hybrid as well made him feel a little less suspicious. "Here's my cell number, Ritsu." Masamune handed him a slip of paper, "If you get too anxious while I'm gone just call me and I'll come straight home."

"Okay." Ritsu nodded.

Ritsu did feel anxious as he watched Masamune leave, but he tried to keep his attention on his food instead. "So you're the heir to Onodera Publications?"

"Y-yeah… um, h-how are my parents doing?"

"Hmm… well they are convinced that you're dead."

"Huh?"

"Five years back there was a Hybrid found, it was your height a build and seemed to resemble you, but anything that could have identified it had been destroyed as the body had been burnt to a crisp and the person who committed the crime had the clever idea to knock out the teeth of the Hybrid as well. Your parents were quite exhausted at the time and I suppose they accepted the idea that you really were gone. That wasn't enough for Masamune though; he kept looking for you when everyone else chose to give up. You should really contact your parents soon though. They should know you're okay."

"I will… I'm just… I'm not ready to see them again just yet."

"That's fine. You should do everything at your own pace, but don't put it off for too long."

"I won't."

"Still, I was surprised he continued to search so steadfastly, especially since his health hadn't been so good at the time."

"Huh?"

"Oh, did he not tell you?"

"Is there something wrong with Takano-san?"

"Not really anymore, but I won't go into the details. He should be the one to tell you, I won't talk about him behind his back."

"Ah…" Ritsu fell silent for a moment before he recalled that Masamune had told him that Takafumi had a family, "S-so you have a family? Takano-san mentioned that."

"Mm. I'm a Chimera, or at least I was. I was pregnant at eighteen and it was hard to juggle college life and child rearing. My boyfriend at the time, Zen, he married me upon learning I was pregnant as he wanted the kitten to be born in wedlock. I agreed, I always planned to marry him anyway, being pregnant just hurried the inevitable."

"So you became pregnant on accident?"

"Zen and I started out as drinking buddies, I guess you could say. There were moments where we'd get black out drunk and have sex without protection, and I knew it would happen sooner or later."

"So you have a kitten?"

"Yes. Rather than a litter, I only had the one kitten, her name is Hiyori." Takafumi took out his cell phone and revealed a picture of the young girl.

"She's a very cute kitten."

"She looks just like Zen, she even has his personality."

"Doesn't that make you a little sad though?"

"No, not at all. I love Zen so of course I would want to see as much of him as I can in our kitten. I'm not so much of a narcissist that I would get upset about her not resembling me."

"Ah, y-yeah. I see what you mean."

"Masamune said you're a Chimera too."

"Yes, I still am, but I'm not fertile."

"Sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned something so personal."

"N-no, it's fine. It was a blessing in disguise at the time." Ritsu mumbled.

Another moment of silence descended on them before Takafumi broke it once more, "Do you want any more tea?"

"Huh?"

"Your cup is empty."

"Oh, so it is."

"I'll get you some more. What were you drinking before?"

"Ginger tea."

"Maybe you should have something more relaxing while Masamune is gone."

Takafumi made Ritsu some more tea, but it made the younger Hybrid tired and Takafumi had to carry him to the bed which made both of them slightly uncomfortable. When Masamune returned Ritsu was still in bed and Takafumi took his leave. Masamune was hesitant to wake Ritsu up, but he did want the Hybrid properly dressed and he was sure that Ritsu would feel better if he was, "Ritsu. Wake up."

Ritsu stirred awake after a few shoulder shakes and flinched at first until Masamune came properly into view, "It's okay Ritsu, it's just me."

"Ah, Takano-san. Where's Kirishima-san?"

"He left already. Was he kind to you?"

"Yes, he was. S-sorry I wasn't able to say a proper good-bye to him after all he did."

"It's fine, he's a busy man."

"What does he do?"

"He's in the sales department at the publishing company we work at."

"You work in a publishing company, Takano-san?"

"Yes, I'm the editor-in-chief at Marukawa's Emerald department."

"What do they do?"

"Shōjo manga."

"Really? You like working with shōjo manga?"

"Is that odd?"

"Ah, no, forget I said anything."

"Well I have some clothes for you. I'm going to wash them first, are you hungry though? Did you finish your breakfast?"

"Yes I did. Kirishima-san made me some calming tea and I felt tired so I decided to go to bed."

"That's good you should rest as much as you can."

"I do feel hungry now though."

"Alright, I'll make something. Do you want to stay in bed and doze for a while longer or would you like to sit out on the couch?"

"The couch would be fine." Ritsu didn't want to let Masamune leave his line of sight.

Masamune carried Ritsu out to the couch before placing his new clothes in the wash machine and then he started cooking while Sorata kept Ritsu company. Ritsu watched Masamune in silence for a moment before saying, "Kirishima-san told me about my parents."

"Oh? I was hoping to ease you back into the world."

"W-well I'm still not ready to see them just yet."

"That's fine. I won't mention anything to them about you either. We'll go at your pace."

"Th-thank you."

"What else did Kirishima tell you?"

"He mentioned that you were sick for a while, he didn't go into details though."

"Sick? Well I guess you could call it that."

"So what did happen to you? Tell me already!"

Masamune paused for a moment before he decided to speak, "The blow to my head from the fire extinguisher gave me a concussion. I'm sure you guessed that much, but I also suffered from some long term effects."

"There are long term effects?"

"There can be depending on how severe the blow is. In my case, it ended up affecting my vision, that's why I wear glasses now. Well I don't always wear them, but if I'm driving or working I wear them. Then there are the mental side effects as well, I'm prone to mood swings and I do have depression. I also get migraines occasionally but I've gotten used to working through them."

"That happened to Takano-san just because he was trying to protect me." Ritsu realized sadly.

"Ritsu, what happened to me wasn't your fault. Honestly it was a miracle I didn't end up in a coma. I don't mind a few afflictions and I've been able to manage my depression well. Now that I have you back, I already feel much better; my depression and mood swings might have actually had more to do with losing you than the concussion."

"It's like Takano-san read my mind. Was it so obvious that I was feeling that way?"

"It's fine so don't agonize over it. The only thing that matters to me is that I have you back now." Masamune assured as he moved Ritsu to the table.

Ritsu nodded absentmindedly but seemed to perk up once Masamune handed him a plate of omurice. "Omurice?"

"Do you not like Omurice?"

"Ah, no. I don't mind."

"I thought it would be nutritious and a bit easy on your stomach. Don't try to eat it all if you can't though."

"I won't." Ritsu felt his face grow slightly warm as he looked down fondly at the omelet, "How long has it been since I last had omurice? Did Takano-san ever cook something for me while we were going out? I only recall going to fast food restaurants occasionally. Still it was fun because I got to eat with him, though I never learned how to order on my own."

Ritsu nibbled slowly on the omurice as he thought back to high school before he had been kidnapped but after he had confessed to Masamune, "We only went out for a few months before I was taken, but that was the best time of my life. I never thought he'd agree to go out with me, and I knew at first that he wasn't really interested in dating me, but I was certain I could win him over. I wonder if I may be causing problems for him. Was that why Kirishima-san wanted me to meet with my parents? So I could move back in with them and stop bothering Takano-san?"

As his mood became depressive, Ritsu lost his appetite and set down his silverware, an action that Masamune noticed, "Ritsu? Are you not hungry anymore?"

"Y-yeah, sorry."

"It's nothing to apologize for, I knew you wouldn't be able to eat all of it, but I had been hoping you would at least be able to handle half of it."

"S-sorry."

"You apologized a lot back then too, but seriously you don't have to apologize all the time."

"You remembered that?"

"I remember a lot of things we did in high school, I wouldn't forget about the person I love."

"You love me?"

"Are you an idiot? Who searches for someone they don't love for so many years? And the night I took your virginity I told you I loved you."

"That was real? I thought I imagined that!"

"You are an idiot." Masamune realized as he pinned his ears back and his tail drooped.

"Hey!"

Masamune smirked as the younger Hybrid bristled, and Ritsu found himself feeling better, "I think I'll try eating a bit more."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm okay."

"The clothes should be done in the washer by now, I'll put some in the dryer and I'll hang up the rest."

"That's such a waste of electricity."

"It can't be helped you need something to wear for tonight. I do think I might have bought a bit too much, but I wanted you to have some variety. The pants might be a bit big on you, but you'll be gaining weight anyway and you can just wear a belt until then."

"Thank you." Ritsu mumbled as he began to blush again.

Masamune left Ritsu to eat a little bit more and loaded the dryer with wet clothes. When he returned, Ritsu had decided not to eat anymore and Masamune finished the omurice for Ritsu knowing the younger man would bemoan the wasted food if he didn't.

After showering together, Ritsu's clothes were dry and Masamune presented them to the younger Hybrid. "You really did get too much."

"Maybe, but are they to your liking?"

"Yeah, that's not the issue. You didn't have to do so much for me."

"It wasn't a problem. I love you so I didn't feel like it was a burden to get all of these for you."

"Well thank you." Ritsu's voice was barely audible.

Masamune helped Ritsu get dressed and Ritsu savored the feeling of being properly clothed again. After he was kidnapped they hadn't given him any clothes and he felt so vulnerable being completely naked, which was probably one of the points of them doing that, being clothed made him feel a little bit safer and he almost felt normal.

"Are you tired? Would you like to rest some more?"

"Ah, y-yeah, that would be nice."

"Alright, I'll tuck you in."

"You really don't have to do that!"

"I want to do it though. I really don't want to let you out of my sight; I don't want you to disappear again." Masamune hugged the younger man tightly and Ritsu returned his hug.

Masamune was encouraged by the gesture and decided to kiss him. Ritsu moaned and Masamune deepened the kiss. As the kiss became more passionate between the two, Masamune laid Ritsu down on the bed; he remained on top of the Hybrid and the two began to try to remove the other's shirt. Masamune, finally freeing Ritsu of his shirt, ran his hand softly up the younger man's torso. Ritsu felt himself growing even more aroused, but a flash back quickly seized him and he recalled all the times he had been held down and forcefully taken. Ritsu forgot where he was and as panic set in, he cried out, "St-stop!" before he roughly shoved Masamune away.

Masamune quickly got off of Ritsu and pulled him up to a sitting position, "Ritsu, it's okay." He tried to soothe the younger man who was hyperventilating and glancing wildly around the room.

"S-sorry." Ritsu felt flooded with shame at the way he had acted upon being touched by the man he loved so much.

"Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault. I got too carried away."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong." Ritsu felt tears threatening his eyes, "Why did I have to do that to Takano-san? Why did I push away the man I love, the one I know would never hurt me?"

Masamune held the Hybrid tightly once more, "Don't cry, Ritsu. I know that all those painful memories won't go away just because you're with me now, but remember that I will always protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

Ritsu hugged Masamune back and buried his face in the older Hybrid's chest, "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"I don't mind if that is what you want."

"Mm."

Masamune helped Ritsu slide into bed and he cuddled the younger man to him and nuzzled his ear, "I love you, Ritsu."

Ritsu squeezed the older man, but was too worried about his voice breaking with emotion to respond. Ritsu fell asleep almost instantly and rather than leave, Masamune decided to stay with him to ensure that his lover wouldn't be anxious when he woke up.

After a week had gone by, Ritsu seemed to have developed a few disorders as a result of his time as a sex slave. He had night terrors, frequent flash backs, and anxiety attacks so severe that he often got sick and wasted the food he had just eaten. He also couldn't seem to bear the thought of stepping outside and would break down screaming if he got too close to the door.

Masamune had called the therapist the doctor at the clinic had recommended and they prescribed some medication for Ritsu after a long house call, which helped a bit but Ritsu still couldn't handle trying to go outside; the only room the Hybrid seemed to feel comfortable in was the bedroom which he rarely left. Masamune didn't mind Ritsu staying in the bedroom so much as he wanted the younger man to rest as much as possible. Masamune still had to work though, but he always made sure Ritsu had everything he needed before he left.

The only good news the two had received was that all of Ritsu's tests came back as negative, but Ritsu wasn't surprised as the Hybrids were frequently tested for S.T.I.s since Hybrids were rare to come by they were extremely valuable and if one became ill it was always a huge problem for the traffickers to deal with as they couldn't very well dispose of the Hybrid without another one to replace it.

Masamune remained thankful for the small things though and he didn't mind waiting for Ritsu to get better; to him the most important thing was that his lover was with him again, and he didn't mind waiting no matter how many therapy sessions or medications it took.


* Sorry for the delayed chapter I had to do a few rewrites first but here it is! By the way the 3rd season of Junjo Romantica is now available for pre-order on Rightstuf and will be released on Aug 7th! So if you're like me and love non-bootlegged goods head on over and submit your pre-orders! I already did!