Wow… This was longer than I wanted, but okay… I had to stop a few times since my back and arms are getting sore… And my eyes… :D

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Junjo Romantica!

I also do not own:

Izumiya Kenta

I do own:

Tsukuyomi Family

Sato Toshiro

WARNINGS: MATURE CONTENT WITHIN! PURE BL~!

xxxxxxx

Chapter Four: Learning How to Eat

Wet… Sopping, soaking wet all the way to his underwear. Riku had never felt so wet and heavy in his entire life. He sought shelter in the first place he could.

An old antique shop.

Riku slipped right in, wishing the bell overhead didn't ring. He quickly ducked into a corner by some old paintings, sitting down. He took a deep breath, shaking a little. He peeked over through the window and saw dark storm clouds rumbling in the sky. Riku sighed.

Great… Thanks a lot, Kazuya. Perfect night to send your little brother to someone else's house! Jerk… He thought, wiping his face off with his sleeve. It didn't help much, however, for his face was still wet due to his sopping wet sleeve.

"Riku-kun?" Riku jumped and jerked his head up to see Kenta staring down at him in the dimness of the shop.

"Kenta-san? What're you doing here?" He asked. Kenta raised an eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest.

"I work here."

"Small world." Riku murmured, scratching his head. Kenta frowned.

"Look at you. You're soaking wet… All right, get up. We better dry you off." He sighed and held out his hand. Riku hesitated, but allowed Kenta to help him up anyway. Kenta led him to the back where he took a towel from the bathroom.

"What were you doing out in the rain like that? You look like a wet kitten…" He muttered, dropping the towel on Riku's head. Riku huffed.

"My brother won't let me go home… I have to find somewhere else to stay for tonight… I was just gonna walk around, but then it started raining." He explained as Kenta dried his head.

"Hm," Kenta mused, "I see… Did he say why?"

"Nope." The answer was quick, short, and sort of angry. Kenta glanced at the clock that was ticking on the wall.

"Well… I guess I can let you come over… My apartment's not far from here." He said, but he got a headshake from Riku.

"It's fine," The raven-haired boy replied as he let the towel rest on his shoulders, "I'll just walk around a bit…"

"… I'll make you dinner." Kenta deadpanned. Riku's attention was sparked.

"Dinner?"

JKJKJK

"Nice apartment." Riku commented when Kenta opened the door to the second floor apartment room. Kenta gave a nod and let Riku in, both of them taking off their shoes.

"I don't know if I have any clothes that'll fit," Kenta said moving toward a back room, "But so long as they're dry, right?" Riku shrugged.

"I guess… Sorry if I'm causing you a hassle." He added with a crooked frown, inching toward the room Kenta went into. He peeked into the room. Kenta was picking some clothes from a wardrobe that sat across from a comfortable looking bed.

"No hassle," Kenta replied, "It's a pleasure to help."

"Hn… If some kid came into my house soaking wet, I'd make him sleep outside." Riku responded honestly, staring at Kenta with a comical deadpan look. Kenta sweat dropped, glancing over his shoulder at him.

"Didn't I tell you before that that's not how you make friends in this world?" He asked, shaking his head. I can see why he doesn't have any friends… He thought, then frowned a little to himself. Then again… Am I in any place to talk?

Riku's growling stomach filled the silence that followed.

Kenta sighed and dropped the clothes on the bed.

"Change into those. I'll make you some food…" He said and went out the door, leaving it open a tad behind him. Riku walked to the bed, looking at the clothes with a bored expression before looking up and around the room.

It was a comfortable living space, Riku noted. He wished he had his own apartment, but he was too lazy to get a job and Kazuya wasn't ready to let him go.

Che, yea right, Riku thought, rolling his eyes, He's making me stay out on a school night when I should be studying… Then again, why do I care? The only thing I study is Usagi-sama's books…

He took the towel from around his shoulders and dropped it on the floor, taking off the rest of his clothes. He went with a simple pair of dark pants, which barely stayed up, and a big t-shirt. He looked at his clothes on the floor, then shrugged and started out, but Kenta was right outside the door.

"You don't leave messes in other people's houses, Riku-kun." He scolded. Riku stared up at him blankly.

"So clean it." He said. Kenta sweat dropped.

"That's not my job. Come on. I'll help you." He offered and brushed into the room, taking Riku by the elbow. Riku watched Kenta pick up the towel, but made no move to help until Kenta stepped on his foot.

"You need to learn to clean up after yourself, Riku-kun. What're you going to do when you live by yourself?" He asked. Riku blinked, holding his pants and shirt in his arms as he thought about for a moment, then shrugged.

"Dunno… Leave the clothes there…" He mused. Kenta rolled his eyes.

"You can't do that. It'll gather dust and if they're wet, they'll make the floor moldy… Not to mention your house will stink." He pointed out, heading to the wardrobe to pull out a basket and putting the clothes in them. Riku copied, shrugging after.

"I'm the only one in there, so what's it matter if it stinks?" He asked.

"What if you get a-" Kenta stopped at his thought, blushing a little. What if he gets a lover? Then he won't be alone… Riku stared at him obliviously.

"What if I get a what?" He asked. Kenta shook his head, waving his hands.

"It's nothing! Let's have dinner, shan't we?" He took his leave from the room with Riku padding along behind him. Kenta went straight to cooking, trying to avoid the awkwardness from before.

"What're you making?" Riku asked, sniffing the air.

"Pot au feu. It's a French dish. It's got beef and a mixture of… Vegetables…" Kenta's voice trailed when Riku came to peer past him at the food.

"It smells good… Very good…" Riku was practically drooling and decided to reach for one of the hot vegetables.

"Riku-kun! That's hot! Don't touch-"

"Ow! That is hot…"

"Riku-kun! Are you dumb? You're not supposed to touch hot things! Put that under cold water!" Kenta commanded. Riku shrugged and obeyed, turning on the sink and letting the cold water run on his bright red finger. Kenta sighed, sweating a bit.

"Seriously… Sometimes I wonder how you even got past junior high." He said.

"Me too." Riku agreed flatly, then turned off the sink, looking at his finger. Kenta glanced at it, then back at the food.

"Doesn't look like it's going to blister or anything… That's good. Now, do me a favor and just sit down and talk like a normal person." He said. Riku shrugged and went over to the table, sitting down. He didn't know how to start a conversation, though, so he waited until Kenta spoke.

"How did you do on that packet we worked on for Kamijou-sensei's class?" Kenta decided to ask after a long silence. Riku drummed his fingers on the table.

"I did okay… He smacked me over the head, though."

"Doesn't shock me."

"Had he of patted me on the head or kissed me, that would've shocked me." Riku mused. Kenta twitched, laughing a little as he carried the food to the table.

"Yea… Same here… Don't they call him Kamijou the Demon?" He asked, making a plate for them both. Riku nodded.

"He is kind of a demon… He's not bad looking either, but he's still kinda mean." He replied slowly, studying the meal.

"Itadakimas." Kenta said and began eating. Riku mimicked him, but eating a little more hungrily as if he were starved. Kenta sweat dropped.

"Riku-kun, eat more properly. If you eat too fast, you'll get a stomachache." He scolded. Riku paused to gulp down his food.

"I've proven that theory wrong." He responded and continued to eat. Kenta rolled his eyes, clasping a hand on his forehead. He continued to eat, watching Riku slurp vegetables and eat with his mouth open.

So aggravating! He's getting food all over the table! And his face too… I wonder if he knows he has a piece of potato stuck to his cheek. Or is that cabbage…? Kenta wondered, then picked up a napkin.

"You eat like a starved bum. Quit flinging the food like that…" He scolded quietly, using the napkin to reach across the table and wipe the corner of Riku's mouth. Riku blinked and stopped eating to look at him. Kenta set the napkin down, shaking his head and standing up.

"What?" Riku asked watching Kenta move around the table.

"If you're going to act like a child, I'll treat you like one." Kenta responded calmly and took Riku's hands in his coming up behind him. Riku went still as Kenta taught him how to properly hold the eating utensils.

"You don't fling it back in your face. You bring it all the way to your mouth, like this…" Kenta instructed, bringing the food to Riku's mouth. Riku ate it as Kenta lowered his hand back to the plate.

"Excellent… And try to eat over the plate so you don't end up having half your meal in your lap." Kenta added, grabbing another napkin to wipe up the mess on the table. Riku paused, watching Kenta clean up. That was weird… Maybe I got on his last nerve, being a pig and all… He figured.

"… Sorry about the mess." He said at last. Kenta shrugged.

"I sort of expected it… That's why I brought out the napkins." He answered. Riku sweat dropped, then stifled a yawn.

"Hn, well… I'm sort of tired…"

"You can have the bed tonight. I have a sofa I can sleep on-"

"It's your house," Riku interrupted with a huff, "Besides, sofas are more comfortable for me… Goodnight." He was up and out of the kitchen in an instant. Kenta sighed and decided to finish cleaning, listening to Riku get on the sofa and sleep. Outside, the storm clouds rumbled over head as rain came pouring down accompanied by streaks of lightening.

Kenta got a handful of candles and set them up in case the power went out before heading to his room, ready to rest.

Meanwhile, Riku sat curled up on the couch, his face buried in a pillow as he slept. The thunder was interfering with his sleep, making him wiggle and squirm against the blankets that were wrapping around him like a boa constrictor.

Boa constrictor…

Or arms.

Arms that were squeezing him, holding him down, trying to hold him still so he could be hit, punched, spat at. Riku squirmed some more, throwing back the blankets and shooting upright, gasping out loud. He jumped when the thunder outside flashed brightly, streaking the black sky with light.

Cold sweat prickled on his goose bumped skin as Riku scrambled off the sofa, stepping back and slamming into the coffee table. Riku yelped and flailed to catch his balance, but tripped backwards, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Riku groaned.

That was smooth… I probably woke Kenta-san up… He thought. As if on cue, Kenta came walking into the living room with a candle. He was rubbing his eye, trudging out in a pair of baggy black pants and a dark chestnut t-shirt. He blinked.

"Riku-kun? What're you doing? You knocked the table over." He said, eyeing the tipped over coffee table. Riku stared at the table, then up at Kenta.

"I… Couldn't sleep…"

"… Nightmare?" Kenta asked. Riku blinked, then shook his head.

"I don't have nightmares!" Liar! Liar! Liar! He'll hate you when he finds out you're lying! Toshiro's voice came crashing into Riku's head, making him gulp. Kenta frowned at the odd expression on Riku's face. Riku grimaced.

"Uhm… Except for before… I just had a bad dream…"

"Do you want to talk about it-"

"No." Riku interrupted sharply, looking at his feet. Kenta sighed, walking over and holding out a hand.

"All right… Get up. You can't sleep on the floor." He said. Riku eventually allowed himself to be pulled up. Kenta started heading for the kitchen with the candle.

"I'll make some tea… Maybe it'll help you sleep." He explained, setting the candle down. Riku nodded and sat down awkwardly, looking around the kitchen.

"Riku-kun…" Kenta said suddenly. Riku looked up.

"Hn?"

"Why do you keep up such a barrier? You never let anyone in…"

"… Why would I trust anyone to come in?" Riku asked, his voice flat and plain. Kenta blinked and turned to face him.

"Riku-kun-"

"It's not like it's any of your business anyway." Riku said again in the same monotone voice. Kenta sighed and stirred his tea.

"I figures since we're friends, you would open up…" He replied quietly. Riku blinked and looked at Kenta with curious round eyes.

"Friends…?"

"Of course. You didn't think I hung around you because I wanted to do something to you, did you?"

"Er, no… Not really-"

"Not really?" Kenta demanded, blushing hotly as he glared. Riku blushed in turn, his eye twitching.

"No, I meant…! I didn't…! Oh, forget it. I just want some tea." He snapped. Kenta rolled his eyes and turned his back to stir the rest of the tea. Even so, he smiled a little. Riku was obviously glad to have someone call him a friend… Still, it made him blush to think Riku answered 'not really'.

"Tea time." Kenta announced, handing Riku the warm tea. Riku sipped it carefully, looking very relaxed now.

"You're a good friend, Kenta-san…" He murmured after a few sips. Kenta blinked, then smiled slowly.

"You are too, Riku-kun."

JKJKJK

Waking up the next day, Kenta walked with Riku to school. The rain had let up, leaving behind only thick puddles in the streets.

"Did you sleep better?" Kenta asked as they walked. Riku nodded, adjusting his bag on his shoulder with a slight little yawn.

"Yea… Your sofa's comfy."

"You still look tired… You should go to bed early tonight."

"I have schoolwork to do, I probably won't have time…" Riku murmured. Kenta blinked and cast Riku a curious sideways glance.

"You're actually going to do your work?" He asked, cocking a brow. Riku yawned again, scratching the back of his head casually.

"Yes… And you're going to help me." He responded.

"When were you planning on telling me that?" Kenta demanded, putting a hand on his hip and giving Riku a death glare. Riku looked the other way, smiling a little.

"When I showed up at your house with my work."

"Riku-kun, you should give me a heads up. I need to buy some groceries for dinner then, which means I won't be there when you get there-"

"Just pick me up from school and we'll go together. If I'm going to be eating dinner with you, at least make something I like." Riku smirked. Kenta clapped a hand to his forehead.

"Already found another boyfriend?" A voice asked. Riku stopped dead in his tracks, stiffening immediately. Kenta felt a slight twinge of heat in his face, but more annoyance than anything. He turned to the sound of the voice.

A boy about his height, possibly his age, was walking toward him. His light brown hair was brushed over his face, hiding his pale green eyes. He dressed in a fancy uniform, a brief case in one hand.

"And who are you?" Kenta asked, furrowing his brow in aggravation. The man smiled when Riku turned to get a peek at him.

"Sato Toshiro… I'm Riku-kun's ex-boyfriend." He responded. Kenta blinked and glanced at Riku, who was pulling on Kenta's sleeve.

"I'm going to be late…" Riku whispered to him.

"Uhm-"

"I can take Riku-kun to school-"

"No!" Riku yelled. Toshiro smirked. Kenta stared at the dark-haired boy in disbelief.

"Riku-kun-"

"No. Kenta-san is taking me to school." Riku stated firmly and jerked hard on Kenta's sleeve, making him stumble into a fast-paced walk behind him.

"See you later, Riku-kun!" Toshiro called, laughing. Riku kept taking long strides forward, his eyes locked on intently on the sidewalk.

"Riku-kun! Riku-kun, slow down! Riku-kun!" Kenta jerked back on Riku's grip, making them both stumble to a stop.

"Riku-kun! What's the matter? What does that man mean saying he's your ex-boyfriend? Are you afraid of him?" He demanded, holding Riku's elbow now. Riku squirmed a little.

"I-It doesn't matter. I don't like him is all… Can we please not talk about it?" He asked. Kenta frowned, slowly letting go and letting his hand drop to his side.

"… Not now," He said, "But later… Promise me." Riku stared at him. Kenta stared back, frowning. Riku sighed, letting his eyes drift away.

"I promise… I'll tell you later…"

"All right… I'll pick you up when your classes are done, agreed?"

"Agreed." Riku murmured, then turned and went to class.

A/N: Sorry if it seemed sketchy or something… I'm like super tired right now for some reason and really sore… Anyway, so… I brought Toshiro into the picture~! Hope the characters are still in characters too! Thanks so much for reading!