KAYS POV

"It's nice to see you again, Ivan, but it's late you know, and I have to go home…" I nervously inched away from him, wanting to run as fast as I could to get away from him and the lingering feelings I had. Ivan grabbed the upper part of my arm, pulling me closer to him and not allowing me to move. I nervously peered up into his eyes. "Ivan please."

"I miss my little sunflower, and I don't want her to leave yet. You understand da?" He leaned closer, resting his forehead against mine, a lot like he used to when we were together. Of course, I hadn't been afraid of him then.

'You are all mine, da? Now and forever.'

"Ivan…" I bit my lip, unsure of what I could say that wouldn't flare his temper. He may seemed calm and level-headed, but underneath the innocent looking exterior was a cruel personality lying dormant. I had learned that soon enough.

"Fancy seeing you guys here~" Kim grabbed onto my arm, pulling me out of Ivan's grip. His violet eyes shifted from me to Kim, his aura turning darker. "You forgot something at my house Kay, let's go get it!" She pulled me away from Ivan, but a part of me didn't want to leave. The feeling he had given me, the feeling of being needed and protected, came to mind and I remained firmly planted in place. But with another desperate tug, the horror and emotional abuse came back to mind, and I turned to walk away with her.

It wouldn't be the last I'd see of Ivan, after all. Meeting him in places while I was alone tended to happen, after all, as he seemed to always pop up where I was. Except most of the time, Kim hadn't been around nor had she known. I didn't feel the need to worry her about something that was my own problem, my own mistake, so I had refrained from informing her of any encounters after the break up.

"Do you just subconsciously attract the creepiest people, or is it just me?" Kim asked as we walked away, glancing back from time to time to see if he was following us. I knew he wasn't, for whatever goal he was after he had to have me alone to achieve it, so he wouldn't bother any more for tonight. Which only left more for me to worry about tomorrow and the day after.

"How'd you know something was wrong?"

"Didn't answer your phone." She replied with a grin. "You know how obsessed Francis is with your well-being so-"

"I am not obsessed!" The french accent that generally annoyed me was actually quite comforting now.

It was then that I realized my heart was beating faster than normal, and that it would've been easy for me to have been killed if Kim hadn't come along. One wrong word could've resulted in a broken arm, or a shattered skull. I had fallen victim to his strength before, but he only used it if I wasn't submissive towards his demands. He seemed much different when others, especially Kim, were around.

"Thank you for coming, Francis." I smiled as he allowed me into the front seat, forcing Kim to pile in the back with the cute Spaniard and my new crush.

"Meine Frau, why would you ever date someone as un-awesome as that man?" Gilbert looked as though he was going to puke, but for the moment I ignored his facial expression and thought over his words. I had taken German freshmen year of high school, and I could translate a few simple words pretty well. Had he just called me his woman? The thought of being his woman caused butterflies to flutter around my stomach, but I wasn't easy.

I turned to give him a sly smile.

"Your woman? If you're in a relationship with somebody, shouldn't you inform the other person?" Spain patted the Prussian man's back. Gilbert, however, looked far from discouraged. He leaned forward, hands resting on his knees as he leaned close to my ear.

"Just show me to the bedroom und I'll make you mine." My cheeks turned red and I inched away from him in embarrassment; no doubt everyone in the car had heard exactly what he said. Sure, I could be pretty shameless at times, but it was only when I was speaking with one person. Not in a car with two people I didn't know.

But that accent of his was enticing.

Francis let out a shocked gasp, turning to his friend as he stopped at a red light.

"You will not soil the innocent beauty of my dear Kay!" He exclaimed. The bickering between the two of them continued until we reached my house, where I let out a sigh of relief. Being home was comforting, my own piece of heaven away from the devil known as Ivan.

"Thank you, Francis. I'll see you tomorrow." I leaned forward, pressing my lips lightly to the French mans cheek. He let out an odd noise that sounded like a squeal and gasp, his cheeks turning pink as he began to rant. I glanced back and saw the flirtatious look Gilbert was shooting my way.

"Auf Wiedersehen, meine frau~" He winked as I exited the car, leaving me with another dark blush on my face. It didn't seem as though I was going to meet any sort of resistance while flirting with him, although guys like him were a lot of trouble. I could already tell this would be a thrill ride, the only problem would be if actual feelings got in the way.

Well, there was nothing wrong with having a little fun right?

I could use a distraction after everything that happened with Ivan…

KIMS POV

After that horrifying episode of flirtation I had to witness, I nearly jumped from the car to get to the front seat. I beat down Gilbert easily, pulling his hood over his face and squeezing the strings while I slipped out of the car door. Antonio hadn't even tried, content to stay in his place with a smile on his face. Ignoring the angry mutters and looks I was receiving from Gilbert, I watched as Kay safely entered her house.

Her parents weren't home, it seemed like they hardly were anymore. That only tended to irritate me, since they should be keeping an eye on their daughter. Perhaps if she had a decent older figure in her life, she wouldn't be running after all these older men trying to get into a relationship with them. If they were around more, maybe Kay would be more comfortable with informing them of the Ivan situation.

Maybe she wouldn't be in danger when she was alone like she is now.

She's strong willed, though, and I knew I had no place worrying over her. I should be more worried about my own well-being and my own love life for one.

I leaned my head against the cold pane of the window, glancing down at my phone. Lovino hadn't texted me back since I'd seen him with that girl earlier, and I had even risked my butt texting him in the middle of Kay's study session! Goes to show how much I meant to him!

Sure, Lovino was a big jerk with a bad mouth, and he wasn't very friendly towards the people that cared for him… But that's just the way he was. I could understand his fear of showing weakness to others, for weaknesses were only exploited for the purpose of hurting that individual in question. If weakness was shown, than your whole world could be over.

Lovino had ties with a local gang that he had backed out on; they hadn't been too happy about that. His life was in danger as much as Kay's was, although they were slowly losing interest in him. He had been a useless part of the gang, it seemed, but they still had to be sure he didn't blab on them. He was a bit of a wimp, even I had to admit that, and he wouldn't tell a word in fear of his life. That didn't stop his momentary lapses of judgment where he said rude, hurtful things that he would later regret.

It was complicated problems that he refused to speak to me about.

I was wondering if Kay was right, and if I should just tell him my feelings. I'd cared for the Italian man for months, and before that we had been close friends. Whenever he had flirted with me, my heart would skip a beat, every time his arm would wrap around my shoulder, I swear I couldn't breathe…

Was this what it was like to be in love?

If it was, I didn't like it. Because now I was feeling hurt from his ignorance to my feelings, and hurt from the fact he could easily take out another girl who wasn't me. With a depressed sigh, I felt my forehead slide down the window until it slammed against the side, causing all three men in the car to jump in surprise.

"What is troubling you, princesa?" Antonio asked from the backseat, leaning over Gilbert to pat my shoulder. "You seem depressed."

"Your son or whatever he is, that's what." I shifted from his touch, crossing my arms as the short tempered jerk I was pining for came to mind.

Why did Kay like being in relationships so much? This shit was frustrating!

LOVINO'S POV

"Dammit, go away!" I shouted loudly towards my annoyance of a younger brother, who apologized profusely before running away, waving his white shirt over his head in defeat. Ever since this afternoon, I had been annoyed! I shouldn't be, seeing as I had a date with a beautiful woman who liked me more than Feliciano. "Dammit!" I kicked the couch in anger, before storming up to my room.

That bastard Antonio had been over her house far too long! I don't care if he was friends with her creepy older brother, he shouldn't be allowed within ten feet of her! And the other frustrating thing about today was how my mind was constantly forced back onto her. Why was she suddenly invading my thoughts? If the girl I was speaking to wasn't her, it didn't feel right. A beautiful woman had nearly thrown herself at my feet, and I still denied her!

Agh, god, if that damn Spaniard heard of what I had done today, he'd make fun of me for weeks!

I glanced over at my phone, scowling as I realized I had a few missed messages. I had been so busy thinking of what a terrible day I had had that my phone had gone on forgotten. With a scowl firmly planted on my face, I flipped open my phone to read the messages I had missed. My mouth dropped, and I nearly threw the damn thing at the wall! I had told Antonio I needed a new one, since the ringer on mine was broken, and it looked as though I had missed her texts. She would be angry with me.

But why did I give a damn if she was angry or not?!

Slamming the phone against the bedside table, I flopped onto my bed, ready to be free of the days stress. Tomorrow would be the start of a new day, and a new day meant another chance, right? Maybe this stupid feeling of guilt I had would go away in the morning, after a good night's sleep. I had missed my siesta today due to my date, after all, even if it did end up ruined.

The look on her face came to mind as soon as I closed my eyes, and to make it worse Antonio burst into my room.

"Hello, my little tomato~" He cooed. "How was your day~?"

"Dammit, can't I have a moment of peace?!"