Ritsuka's eyes fluttered open one morning. His shoulder was mostly healed, and Soubi was working on enrolling Ritsuka in a school that was closer to where he now lived.

"nnn Soubi?" he called from where he lay in the dimly lit room.

Upon not receiving an answer, he decided he should get up and try find him himself, despite not knowing the layout of the house. He got up and slipped into the living room.

"Wow," he gasped upon seeing the numerous canvasses, brushes, paints, and clay scattered across the living room.

"Oh! I didn't even hear you wake up." Soubi called, putting down a paint brush and walking over. "But I'm glad to see you're up and moving."

"I didn't know you paint." Ritsuka said quietly.

Soubi smiled. "I'm majoring in art at the collage I attend." He held a brush out to Ritsuka, "Would you like to try?"

Ritsuka shook his head. "I'm not a very good artist, but could I, maybe, watch you pain?"

Soubi nodded and ruffled Ritsuka's hair. He lead Ritsuka to an easel in a far corner of the room, and pulled up another stool.

"Oh wow!" Ritsuka exclaimed. "Soubi, this is amazing!"

"Thank you, Ritsuka."

For a while the two sat there, in silence. Then, Ritsuka spoke up in a soft voice, "U-um S-Soubi if you want, maybe, when you're done painting, I-I could tell you what happened, you know, before you found me, and saved my life."

Soubi smiled tenderly at the boy, "Sure, Ritsuka. Just give me one more minute."

Soubi, quickly, put the finishing touches on his latest painting, put his supplies away, and led Ritsuka to the couch to sit while they talk.

"I can't remember anything from before the past two years," Ritsuka started. "So my mom says I'm not her real son a-and she hits me."

Soubi nodded solemnly, I sort of figured, based on how you'd been acting, that someone was abusing you."

"But the day you found me," he paused, and shake his head I-my arm-she found a butcher knife, a-and I thought she was going to kill me. S-so I ran away."

Soubi leaned in and gently embraced the boy. "Don't worry I'll never let anything like that happen to you again. As long as I'm around I promise you'll be safe. Ritsuka, I love you."

Ritsuka's eyes went wide, and he struggled out of Soubi's grasp. "Don't lie to me!" he exclaimed, running out the front door.

A/N: sorry I haven't uploaded in forever I've been really lazy about typing lately…