Kiku woke up shivering, even though someone had put his blazer over his naked body. The room was even darker than before and Kiku could still hear rumbles of thunder off in the distance. He blinked a few times to shake the sleep off. He tried to sit up then promptly cringed in pain. His arse still remembered what had been done to it.

Kiku managed to sit after a bit and looked around the room. It was empty save for himself. Kiku's heart sank unexpectedly; he had been half-wanting Arthur stick around and apologize for everything he'd done to him. But…that really hadn't been the only reason…

He sighed, picking up his shirt from the floor. As he was buttoning it back up, Kiku noticed a small piece of paper sitting on the coffee table across from the couch. He took the paper and examined it. On it was written a quick note, hastily scrawled in poor cursive.

"I did what you asked of me. I won't pursue you anymore, but please know this: I still love you."

Kiku stared hard at the note. Arthur had left this, there was no doubt of that. It was hardly the apology Kiku had wanted, but he supposed it would have to do. Kiku's eyes kept re-reading that last line. "I still love you." For some reason, those words made Kiku's heart sink even more. It was like a huge rock sitting on his chest.

"I still love you."

Kiku crumpled the paper and tossed it away, but those words still lingered as if imprinted on his eyes. He bit his lip, compelling himself not to cry. Men didn't cry and besides, if all his feelings for Arthur, whatever they had been, were gone so he shouldn't feel like this. They were gone and that was that.

For the next two weeks, things were pretty much back to normal. Arthur was still coming to all of Kiku's classes, but he never said anything to him. He would arrive late and be the first to leave. Even though Arthur was acting like nothing had happened, Kiku found himself unconsciously looking over his shoulder to the back of the room. It was right before bell when Kiku looked back again. Arthur's head was down, immersed in a book of all things. Never once during class had he looked up. Something slapped Kiku's desk, jerking his head back around. The teacher was glaring down at him.

"Is there something interesting back there, Mr. Honda?"

Kiku shrank slightly back into his seat. "Uhh…n-no sir."

"Then I expect you to be facing forward. You have a lot of work to catch up on."

"…Yes sir."

The class snickered a bit as the ping-pong-dong of the bell rang. As usual, Arthur stood, his head down and left out the classroom's back door. Kiku frowned as he watched him leave. He still hadn't said anything to him since then. Someone grabbed Kiku around the shoulders.

"Neee, Kiku-chan! Whatcha staring at, hmm?"

Im Yong, a Korean classmate of Kiku's, was giving his cat-like grin. He had a peculiar habit of grabbing people like this and Kiku usually threw him off. But today he just let Yong hang off him.

"Nothing…" Kiku said with a sigh.

Yong's narrow eyes opened a slat and he slid off Kiku's shoulders. "Hmm, that's odd for you to sigh like that, Kiku-chan. It's almost like…you're in love." Yong made a kissy face as he said that last line. Kiku took a swipe at his head.

"Don't be stupid. I'm just…stressed that's all."

"Psshh, whatever man. Hey, listen! A buncha guys and me are going to town tonight to have a little fun and to celebrate the end of exams! Wanna come with?"

"No, I'd rather not, I-," Kiku started, but Yong cut him off, throwing an arm around his shoulder.

"Aw, man don't be such a drag! It's okay to let loose every once in a while. Come on, why don't you come with us? We're going for karaoke and we're bringing some of the girls from our grade. It'll be fun, come on, whatta ya say?"

"Oh, alright. I don't have anything better to do anyway…"

"Fantastic! Then I'll see you at the station at 7:00 sharp!" Yong waved heartily at another student across the room. He abandoned Kiku and ran over to them. Kiku shook his head, finished gathering up his things and left for his next class.

The tiny platform was deserted when Kiku arrived. He checked his watch; it said 6:55. So where was everyone else? Kiku went to the ticket dispenser and punched in his information. The machine gave a little whirr and out popped a paper ticket. As he was ripping the paper off, he heard some voices behind him.

"HEEYYY KIKU-CHAANNN!"

Coming up the road and onto to the platform was a group of about 7 or so people, Yong leading the whole procession. He was waving like a madman at Kiku. Kiku recognized some of the people; there was Yong and Mei, Elizabeth, Roderich, Alfred and two other girls Kiku didn't know.

"Hey man, I'm glad you came! We're one boy short for our group date!"

"Wait a second, I never-," Kiku was cut off again as Yong grabbed his arm and waved into the group.

"Bella! I've got a date for you!"

A blonde girl with a red hairband looked over. "You mean that stupid Antonio actually came?"

"Naw, couldn't get him to even look at me. I got Kiku instead!"

"Kiku? That honor student that all the rumours have been about?"

"Yup!" Yong gave Kiku a shove and pushed him towards Bella. She gave him a disgruntled look and sighed.

"Well, I suppose he's not a total loss. This might make Antonio come round at least."

Bella crossed her arms and turned away to talk to another girl. Even Kiku knew what might happen to him if Antonio found out he went on a date with his girlfriend, even if he'd been forced to. He really wanted to kill Yong at that moment. Kiku turned to give Yong a piece of his mind, but at that moment the train pulled in and it was time to go.

There was only one place in Lorraine that had karaoke and it was the local pub & bar, the Grim's Eye. Even this early in the night, the place was filled with patrons and it was noisy. Kiku was half tempted to leave right then and there, but Bella grabbed his arm and dragged him off towards the stage in the back room of the pub. Her mood had brightened as soon as they entered the place.

Bella jumped on the stage, and picked up the microphone. "Come on, let's sing something!"

Kiku got pushed aside as the rest of the group gathered around and started arguing over what songs to pick and who was going to sing first. Bella wanted to sing rock, while Alfred was wanting something more pop-ish. The others were also putting their two bits in. Kiku didn't really care and wandered out of the back room without even being noticed. He walked up to the bar and sat down, the very image of a guy who'd been dumped.

"Hey, Kiku!" Alfred was walked up to him, slapping him on the back. "What's the deal dude? You've been acting weird lately."

Kiku shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Why does everyone keep thinking something's wrong?"

"Well, cause you've been sighing and not paying attention in class a lot. The whole school's talking about it. Wanna tell me what happened?"

"There's nothing to tell," Kiku said curtly. "Besides, aren't you going to do karaoke?"

Alfred shook his head. "Naw. Bella won out the coin toss and I've had my share of her singing. Bartender!" Alfred slapped the counter and raised an arm into the air.

"What are you doing? It's against the rules for students to drink!" Kiku said in shock. "And you're student council president too boot! What kind of example are you setting?"

Alfred ignored him as the bartender came up. "Two burbons, on the rocks. Make one a double."

"Yes sir." The bartender put out two tumblers and started making the order. A handful of ice there and then a shot of the liquor. They were ready in about a minute. The bartender pushed them forward, gave a little nod then went back further up the bar. Alfred picked his up and took a hearty sip.

"Ah, that hits the spot. Come on, drink up. It's my treat. Might make you feel a little better too."

Kiku muttered something about rules again, but slid his glass closer. The liquid was a murky brown color and the smell was quite repelling. People actually liked to drink this stuff? He took a mouthful and found it tasted not quite as repulsive as it smelled.

A sudden screech issued from the back room. Almost every patron's head in the place turned to look. Alfred winced and took another hit.

"There she goes. God she's awful…with a voice like that she could break glass."

"Is she fighting with Antonio or something?" Kiku asked.

"Well, it's something like that," Alfred replied. "Bella's mad at him cause apparently she caught him making out with Lovino. You remember him right? Felici's older brother?"

Kiku nodded. "But don't those two run together in the same gang?"

"Yup. Well, as I heard it, Bella thinks Antonio's cheating on her with a man. She's the one who arranged this outing, you know? She wanted to get back at Antonio."

Alfred drained his glass and started waving it about. "Bartender! Another please!"

Kiku knew he shouldn't have been drinking. After all, it was against the rules and he'd had enough headaches trying to repair his reputation. But the alcohol dulled his senses and the more he drank, the less he had to think. It wasn't long before he was pretty plastered.

Kiku's head was lying atop the bar's countertop, his eyes glazed over. He was starting to feel numb in his fingertips and he was lightheaded. Alfred at drank three glasses before giving Kiku another slap to the back and returning to the back room for his turn. Kiku raised his glass to drink again, but found it was empty. By now he'd had four of these. He lifted it up and moaned.

"I need another one over here!"

"I think you've had enough to drink," said an all too familiar voice. Kiku's head shot up from the counter faster than a trackman's best sprint. Even in his half-groggy state he knew that voice.

"You! What za hell are you doing here?" he spat.

Arthur Kirkland stood behind the bar in a bartender's uniform, blonde hair slicked back and a scowl on his face. He sighed and set down the tumbler he'd been cleaning. "I work here part-time. You shouldn't even be drinking. It's against school rules."

"Bah! Since when have you ever cared about school rules?" Kiku's words were mushed and he was dizzy from the bloodrush. "For that matter, why did I ever care about them? The school can go to hell for all I care!"

Kiku sank back down to the counter woozy. "Do you have any idea how miserable my life's been trying to clean up the mess you made of it?"

"Not really," Arthur said nonchalantly.

"You're a big fat liar, you know zat? You said you wouldn't pursue me anymore, but the least you could do is talk to me every once in a while!"

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with me."

"Shaddup! Bleh, you give up too easily. I can't believe you would back down just because I tell you to. You're nothing but a big fat hypocrite, ya hear me? HYPOCRITE!"

Kiku shouted the word at the top of his lungs, standing as he said it. Arthur pushed Kiku in back into his seat.

"Keep that up and I'll have to throw you out," he said.

Kiku laughed at the statement. "You? Throw me out? That's a gas, you couldn't throw me even if you-,"

There was louder shouting from the back room and Bella came storming out, with Antonio close following.

"Come on, Bella! I said I was sorry!"

Bella whipped around, her face flushed with anger. "I don't care! If you're going to fool around with a man of all things, we're through!"

"But Bella! You don't-,"

"SHUT UP! I'm serious! We. Are. THROUGH!" Bella spied Kiku sitting at the bar. She came right up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Kiku's eyes went wide in surprise. Bella pulled away, holding Kiku's head against her chest.

"I'm going with him now," she said with venom. "At least he's got some respect for others' feelings!"

Antonio's fists were clenched tight, his cheeks turning red from rage. He was so angry he was shaking "If that's the case…" he said in undertone. "I'll just have to prove I'm the better man!"

What Antonio did next Kiku didn't think Bella was expecting and neither was he. Antonio's fist swung and landed squarely with Kiku's face. Bella shrieked as Kiku reeled off his barstool, sprawling on the tiled floor. He blinked a few times, his brain trying to register what had happened. Antonio picked Kiku up by his jacket, lifting him off the ground.

"You think you can steal someone else's girl just because you're an honours student?" Antonio spat in his face.

"I didn't steal anyone's girlfriend!" Kiku shouted back. It might have been the alcohol, but he was getting angry too.

"Bullshit. You looking for a fight?"

Kiku glared at Antonio, his dislike for the man rising. "Maybe I am." He kneed Antonio in the groin as hard as he could. Antonio buckled, letting go of Kiku. Kiku balled his own fist and punched at Antonio's jaw, but missed and hit his nose instead. Blood gushed everywhere.

"That's for the knife stunt you pulled the other day."

Antonio clutched his nose in agony. He looked mightly pissed off. "You sonna bithch! I'm gonna pummel you!"

Antonio swung clumsily at Kiku again but missed. Kiku then retaliated by actually hitting the jawline. Antonio staggered backwards, clearly shocked that he'd got hit again. He backed up into one of the pub's tables, the silverware there rattling. He looked down at the table, grabbed something and roaring like a wounded animal came at Kiku again, this time with a knife raised.

"I'LL KILL YOU BASTARD!"

The knife was aimed right for Kiku's heart and just inches from contact. A dark shape moved in between the two at the last moment and the next thing Kiku saw was Arthur standing in front of him. He'd caught the knife with a bare hand to stop it. Blood dripped from where the knife had sliced his palm open. His eyes were narrowed in a death glare.

"That is enough," he said, his voice icy daggers. "Antonio, you're drunk. Get out before I call the police."

Antonio grit his teeth, clearly still angry. But he let go of the knife and stomped out of the pub, a long line of livid Spanish curses issuing from his mouth. The bar had cleared when the fight began, so the place was practically deserted. Bella looked down at Kiku with concern.

"Oh my god, Kiku I'm so sorry! I had no idea he'd go off like that! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Kiku's head twisted about to Arthur. He was still holding the knife. Bella gasped.

"Oh Arthur…I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to get you-,"

"Save it," Arthur said, his voice still cold. He dropped the knife and grabbed a clean rag from the bar pressing it against the wound. "Just get everyone out before my boss calls the coppers. And next time you have relationship issues, don't get others involved."

"But your hand-,"

"I said to leave. And I mean now."

Bella stood and hastily left the bar. Kiku tugged on Arthur's sleeve. "Arthur…I…I…"

"It's fine," Arthur said calmly. "It's not too deep. You, on the other hand, are going to have one nice shiner in the morning. Here, I'll get some ice."

Arthur went back behind the bar and wrapped some ice in a rag. He handed it to Kiku. "Put this on it. It should keep the swelling down."

"Arthur, I'm sorry…I…I don't know what came over me…I…I don't do things like that…"

"It was the alcohol talking, that's all."

"I don't think so…Arthur…why won't you look at me?"

During the entire conversation, Arthur hadn't once looked Kiku in the eye. Even now his head was down. Kiku leaned over the counter to look at him, but Arthur turned away.

"Arthur, please. Why do you turn away? Are you afraid of something?"

Arthur was silent. He tugged harder on the rag around his hand. After a while he said. "Yes. I'm afraid of losing you."

"Losing me? What are you talking about?"

"I'm scared, honestly I am, of you hating me. I don't want to lose you to someone else. I…I want you to stay with me." Arthur's cheeks turned a little pink as he said it. Kiku couldn't help but smile at his awkwardness. Clearly he didn't know what he was supposed to do. Kiku sighed.

"You know, honestly for me, I thought that if I had sex with you that would be enough to get me to stop thinking like this. But all it did was make me think about you more."

Arthur's head slowly rose. This time, he managed to look Kiku in the face. His eyes were shining lightly. "Huh? What did you say?"

"I said…that I can't stop thinking about you. I think…I think…that I might…like you…" Now Kiku's cheeks turned pink. There was a brief pause of awkward silence.

"Was that a love confession?" Arthur asked slyly.

Kiku tossed his head to the side. "Maybe. I never said it wasn't."

Arthur smiled and giggled. "Kiku, could you look at me please?"

"What now?"

As soon as Kiku turned, Arthur leaned forward and kissed Kiku delicately. Kiku's face blushed red. Arthur was beaming from ear to ear when he pulled away. He put his forehead on Kiku's own and smiled down at him.

"Do you know how happy that makes me to hear you say that?"