AN: So I burned my left hand while cooking today and now its covered with tiny painful blisters. I suffer for my craft. Enjoy!

Despite the sunlight waking Kek from his peaceful sleep, he couldn't muster the energy to be pissed. He was too tired, too sleepy, too comfy, too happy to waste his time getting angry. Christ, Kek was happy. He couldn't remember the last time that happened to himself. This whole dating Ryou thing was really fucking bizarre.

Kek snuggled into the warm body next to him, not willing to start the day yet. Kek wasn't aware of how much time had passed upon dozing off. It was only when he realized how much colder the bed had become did he realize that Ryou was not there. Kek jerked away, glancing around as if fully realizing where he was, the odd fuzzy feeling fading as he glanced around.

Kek looked around, Ryou nowhere to be seen. Kek wasn't sure why, but he felt very disappointed by that thought. Frankly, laying in bed with Ryou and avoiding any other form of social contact sounded utterly fantastic to him. It was that or deal with the other assholes in his life. Kek sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed as he found his jeans, crumpled on the floor.

Kek smirked lightly, his mind thinking back to last night. He could only imagine what Akefia might say if he found out that Kek had been a virgin until last night. It was embarrassing enough dealing with these aggravating albinos in his life – the last thing he needed was for Akefia to berate and give him advise on how to proceed. All things considered, Kek thought he did a pretty good job.

But pleasurable memories aside, Kek furrowed his brows. Where was Ryou now?

Kek tossed on his shirt, stretching before stepping out of the bedroom. He was confused when Ryou was not in the living room or the kitchen. In fact, it looked like Ryou wasn't there at all. Did Ryou go out? Why didn't he just wake Kek and kick him out? None of this made sense to Kek as he stared somewhat bewildered at the empty residence.

It took Kek a few more minutes of searching before he spotted the notebook laying on the kitchen counter. He glanced, realizing that Ryou left a note for him.

"Kek – I had to run to work. Sorry I had to leave early. Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge if you haven't already. I'm working a double-shift so I won't be back for a while. Be a dear and try not to destroy my apartment."

Kek continued to marvel at how Ryou could still be a sarcastic son of a bitch even when he wasn't here. It was like an on switch he couldn't find. Sighing, Kek decided he would at least have some breakfast before leaving. He didn't want to hide out in Ryou's apartment all day like he was some pet. The sooner he got back, the better.

After Kek went home, he figured he would spend the rest of the day there. It wasn't until he got hungry again and stared at his fridge that he felt annoyed. Having dinner with Ryou reminded Kek why there was nothing like a good home cooked meal. He hadn't realized how sick he was of take-out.

It was at that point that Kek decided he wanted to learn how to cook.

Kek threw on his coat and wandered around until he found a grocery store. He didn't know what he wanted to cook. He didn't even know how to cook. But prior knowledge be damned, Kek would teach himself. He had his own kitchen that did nothing but collect dust. Why shouldn't he use it? How hard could it be?

Kek walked around, not really sure what he was looking for. This was a stupid idea, but he was already at the store, so he couldn't leave now. He wandered under he noticed a cooking magazine down one aisle. Why a grocery store would have a magazine section was beyond him, but he wasn't about to complain. He opened it, reading a few pages as he searched for a recipe. Anything that sounded edible was a good start.

After a few minutes of scanning pages, Kek spotted a simple recipe on how to make spring rolls. It didn't seem too hard. All he had to do was wrap the prepared ingredients in rice paper wrappers. How hard could it be? His meal decided, Kek set out to collect the ingredients. He piled them into his cart, grabbing additional items that caught his eye. He was sort of winging it at this point, a trend in his life.

Kek was just turning the corner when he spotted the long, golden hair. He froze on the spot, jerking back, groaning internally. Of all the shitty luck in the world. Kek sighed, deciding to peak out from around the corner. Sure enough, there he spotted a young man with dark tan skin and golden hair talking to an older, bald man. Kek knew those people. He knew them far too well.

Kek leaned against the shelf, staring at Marik and Odion, who were also out grabbing groceries. He figured this would happen to him. His luck had been far too good to be true recently – the karmic universe had to punish him somehow. Still, Kek wasn't going to cower away because his fucking siblings were here. He had every right to be here just as they did.

Kek took a deep breath, stepping away from his corner. He walked down the aisle, eyes focusing on the seasoning in question. Perhaps if he didn't make eye contact, they wouldn't notice. Kek stuck the item into his basket, deciding to steal a glance in their direction. His eyes froze when he saw Odion staring at him. Kek didn't make a move, feeling like a mouse having been spotted by a hawk.

Odion said nothing, watching for another moment before turning away. He and Marik left the aisle, his twin brother completely unaware of Kek's presence. Left alone in the aisle, Kek felt himself fume at the treatment. He almost preferred being yelled at by Ishizu. Odion acted as if he saw nothing when he looked at Kek. As if he wasn't worth the energy getting angry over.

His blood boiled at this treatment, as if he didn't matter to him anymore. After everything Kek had suffered, they should have cared a little. Kek wasn't sure why he wanted this, but being ignored and treated as if he was a stranger was more aggravating than being recognized for the outcast brother he was. Disgust and loathing was something that Kek had grown accustom to by this point. Nothingness was far worse.

Kek growled, turning sharply as he decided to finish up his shopping trip. This turned out to be a bigger headache than he wanted. He just wanted to get home and start cooking because fucking hell was he hungry. Kek tightened his coat as he left the store, not looking back. He didn't want to risk spotting them while leaving the store. Odion had made his thoughts towards Kek quite clear when he gave him the cold shoulder.

Kek gritted his teeth, trying to brush away his anger. It frustrated him how easily riled up he was over the run-in. It shouldn't matter to him. It clearly didn't matter to his eldest brother. The one who was supposed to protect him and watch over him. He seemed quite okay with playing that role for Marik, but not Kek. Never Kek. Kek didn't belong. The image of their backs as they walked away made that much clear.

That thought caused Kek to pause, but for a completely unrelated reason. He stopped in his tracks, standing on the sidewalk. He raised a hand tentatively to brush the base of his neck, feeling the faint edges of his scars. Ever since that fateful date over a decade ago, Kek wore the wounds across his back. His punishment for trying to protect his twin brother. Ever since then, Kek never let anyone touch his scars.

That was, until last night.

Kek had completely forgotten until now that Ryou felt his scars. He had been too lost in the moment, in the feel and pure ecstasy of being close to Ryou that he forgot his brokenness. Ryou's fingers had dug into his back, crying out his pleasure, his fingers wandered over the varied texture of his back. And not once had Kek noticed. The thought now caused many conflicting emotions in the Egyptian man.

Kek sighed, walking again as he pondered these thoughts. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism that forced Kek to be so aggressive. He tried to ward off new people, reluctant to let them in. He figured if he shoved away first, then he couldn't get hurt. But avoiding pain didn't mean healing old wounds. Kek still bore the scars of that incident so many nights ago, still broken by his old man.

Strangely enough, his time with Ryou has done more for Kek than six years living on his own. Kek was always so trapped in his mind, lost in his anger and bitterness. It was easy to deflect his own problems by stating it's because of the world he lived in. The world was awful, so he could be awful back. There was no reason to risk vulnerability for the chance of a happier life.

Yet Ryou made him smile.

Kek furrowed his brow, entering his apartment complex as the anger and confusion in his mind seemed to dissipate. It always came back to Ryou. He had that effect on the typically sullen Egyptian. For whatever reason, Ryou made Kek happy, even when he was intentionally trying to piss him off. Being around Ryou made Kek desire to feel less agitated. When he was around Ryou, he could let down his guard.

Because despite Ryou's sarcastic defense and careful deflection, Kek knew that Ryou was familiar with scars as well.

The thought of finding a kindred spirit in Ryou made Kek realize how much he desired to be with Ryou. He wasn't familiar with such strong feelings. He hadn't even realized he could feel such strong positive emotions towards another person. Despite this, Kek could only hope that Ryou felt the same towards him. It was difficult to get a read on that albino.

Well, perhaps it's a long shot, but maybe I can win him over with my cooking. Okay. Let's fucking do this.

After Kek made spring rolls (of which, only about three were edible), he decided to text Ryou to see how he was doing. He figured he was still working since he mentioned a double-shift, so perhaps when he got a break, he could check his phone for texts. Kek ate his first meal that he prepared, which while not nearly as good as Ryou's cooking, it was still pretty decent by Kek's standards.

Kek hadn't intended on becoming a homemaker as he spent the following hours after dinner organizing his pantry to accommodate his recent purchases. Upon examining the magazine he bought for more recipes, Kek quickly realized he would need to buy a lot more to cover the basics. His kitchen was rather sparse and lacking in many areas.

Kek was writing down a list of stuff to pick up at the store tomorrow when he heard his phone ring. He perked up, eager to hear from Ryou. He answered the phone, feeling a bit daring and, dare he say it, flirty. "Hey. Miss me already?"

A low baritone voice chuckling on the other end quickly informed Kek that this was not Ryou. "Hate to disappoint you, but I think you're mistaking me for someone else."

Kek swore, his mood soured instantly. "Damn it. The fuck you want, Akefia?"

"Well, I'm on messenger boy duty today. Which is a shame because frankly, I am more interested in the juicy gossip that is your life."

"Fuck off, you jackass. I'm hanging up."

"I wouldn't recommend that."

Kek rolled his eyes, his short temper flaring up again. "And why not?"

He heard Akefia clicking his tongue in disappoint. "Didn't you listen to anything I said? I'm a messenger boy. I have a message."

It took only a few moments for Kek to realize what Akefia is getting at. "What does Dartz want?"

"He said to get your ass down here or we're hunting you down. He's tired of you bailing."

Of all the fucking reasons. "He doesn't give a shit if I come back. He's just trying to show he's in control of his little entourage."

"Probably. Doesn't matter to me either way. So do I tell him that you said fuck off or are you coming?"

Kek let out a loud sigh. Part of him wanted to punch Dartz in the face and tell him to stick his dick in a cactus. But Kek didn't have a stable career. If he was going to maintain a boyfriend and pay for this cooking habit of his, he would need cash to do so. "Fine. I'll be there. But if any of those idiots piss me off, I'm not paying for the funeral bill."

"I won't be picking up that tab either. Well, I guess I'll see you down here. I'll deliver the good news to Dartz. He'll be ecstatic to hear you're coming."

"Fucking fantastic." Kek muttered, hanging up the phone to end the conversation. What was once a hobby to Kek so that he had something to do during the weeks and get cash was now becoming more of an annoyance. Which was frustrating because the whole reason he started hanging out with those guys was because Kek couldn't deal with regular folk. Dating Ryou really muddied that water up. The reoccurring trending in my life.

Regardless, Kek didn't feel like thinking too hard about it. Whether he liked it or not, he was going out tonight. It was best to be prepared than just mope about his situation. Kek sighed, shoving his phone in his pocket as he grabbed his keys, heading out for the night.

Kek spotted the gang before they saw him. He saw Akefia standing off from the group, checking something on his phone. Alister, Valon and Rafael were standing not too far from Dartz, chuckling at some joke that Valon was making. Kek raised an eyebrow, noticing two new bodies there that he hadn't seen before. It looked Dartz had been busy since he'd been gone.

"Kek! So wonderful of you to join us." Kek rolled his eyes, glaring at Dartz. By the disdainful tone and look on his face, Kek didn't really believe Dartz was all too happy to see Kek. But, much like Akefia and himself, Dartz wanted control. Flexing his power was necessary from time to time.

It didn't mean Kek had to like it though.

"Let's get this fucking over with. The less time I have to spend talking to you fuckers, the better." Kek snarled, looking around as if eager to get on the move. The sooner they made bank, the sooner Kek could go home.

Dartz shook his head, walking over to their newest members. "Not so fast, Kek. We haven't made proper introductions. sSay 'hello' to Rex and Weevil."

Kek took one good glance at the two and quickly decided he didn't like either men. There was a nasty look on both of their faces and he could tell that most likely shared the same brain. Just another pair of mindless cronies to fall into line and kiss Dartz's ass. "Hello. Now let's fucking move."

Kek noticed the angry flash in Dartz's eyes, annoyed by Kek's lack of deference and attitude. Before Dartz could try reprimanding him, Akefia spoke up from his corner, walking down the alleyway. "I'm with Kek. Let's fucking go already. These morons aren't going to mug themselves."

Dartz bristled slightly before composing himself. He smirked, shrugged as he herded the rest of the crew after Akefia. Kek said nothing, his eyes focused on the back of Akefia's head. The three of them had been butting heads more and more lately. He wondered how long it would be before things finally reached a boiling point.

Kek followed the group off to the side, letting Rafael take the lead as he led them towards a district they didn't frequent as much. There were a couple of bars in the area, but for the most part, it was fairly quiet most nights. Kek had been mulling this over when he noticed Akefia fall in line next to him. He rolled his eyes, knowing what to anticipate. "What do you want, jackass?"

Akefia grinned like the Cheshire cat, a knowing look on his face. "You know damn well what I want. How're things going with that barista of yours?"

Kek growled, debating whether it was worth fighting Akefia over this. Still, he couldn't be too upset. Last night still rang fresh in his mind. "Things… are going well. Very well."

Akefia chuckled, his smirk widening. "And I'll take it by the smile on your face that you finally got laid?"

Kek blushed, not realizing he was smiling like an idiot. He scoffed, glaring at Akefia who only laughed more. "Fuck you."

"You're welcome, by the way. I'll admit, you are remarkably less high-strung than usual. Well, outside of dealing with Dartz, but he fucking deserves it. Still, my plan worked out pretty good."

"Shut up." Kek grumbled, walking faster. Yep. Akefia truly was a giant pain in the ass. It was best to leave things now before Akefia started to snoop even more into his busines-

"So have you broken up with him yet? Or are you just going to ice him out until he gets the message?"

Kek stopped, snapping his head around to glare at Akefia. This question pissed of Kek more than Akefia probably realized. "No! I-… I haven't… I don't know…" Kek kept stumbling over his words so he decided silence was a better approach.

Akefia noticed how flustered Kek had become. He raised an eyebrow, stalking his way towards the tense Egyptian. "Oh? Are you saying you don't want to break up with him? That you like him?"

Kek gritted his teeth as he heard Akefia start laughing out loud. He even laughs like a jackass. Figures. "Fuck off. That's not what I'm saying."

Akefia just passed Kek, leering at the scowling man. "You sure? Because it certainly sounds like you're becoming soft. Such a shame. Who would have thought you'd be tame by some bitch? Certainly not me. You better break it off before he does. I don't want to deal with you when you've been dumped. Lord knows how much of a pain in the ass you would be in that situation."

Why does Akefia have to make everything so difficult? Kek pushed past Akefia to catch up with the rest of group. He found this somewhat ironic since he typically found the rest of their posse more annoying as a whole than Akefia. But desperate times called for desperate measures. "I'm fucking done with you. Come talk to me when you're done being a jackass."

Kek didn't hear Akefia reply back, so he figured the conversation was done. He also knew he shouldn't have thought that because Akefia could never let a goddamn issue go. "Do you honestly think he likes you?"

Kek tried to tune out Akefia, but that question made him pause. "… What?"

"Your boyfriend. If that's what we're calling him. Do you think he actually likes you?"

Kek furrowed his brow, turning back around to face Akefia. He didn't like the smirk on his face. He was so damn hard to read. "What are trying to get at?"

Akefia shrugged, taking a few steps. "Well, I'm just thinking back to how this started. The whole reason you went out with him to begin with was to get laid. And now you're getting all mushy and attached. But have you ever wonder if your date was trying to use you too? That he was just looking to hook up and call it night?"

Kek knew he shouldn't listen to Akefia. He should just ignore him and just focus on being a bully tonight. Still, the question touched on one of Kek's fears. Ryou was always so closed off and polite, but Kek had no idea Ryou's feelings regarding Kek. He was so guarded and careful, it did raise the question of whether Ryou reciprocated Kek's feelings in full.

Ryou had mentioned he had been looking for something more permanent, but he also mentioned he was open to other possibilities… Did that mean he wasn't interested any more? Was that Ryou was so closed off? Kek narrowed his eyes, his stomach squeezing at the thought. Kek felt like he was starting to understand the depth of his feelings for Ryou, but with that came the realization that those feelings may not be returned. And that hurt. A lot.

Akefia had hit it right on the mark. But Kek couldn't give him the satisfaction of letting him know that Akefia had struck a bit too close to home. "You're a fucking moron. Piss off."

"Really? I'm not the one becoming a lovesick puppy because someone figured out how his dick works. Trust me – I know when lust is talking. You don't like him anymore than he likes you for your oh-so-likable personality."

"Shut up!" Kek snapped, his temper flaring. Akefia was just being a jackass and trying to rile him up. He was just saying this shit to piss him off. Akefia got off on this shit. And goddamnit it was working. Akefia just raised an eyebrow, waiting to see where Kek intended on doing next. Damn it, I hate it when he's fucking prick.

Kek sighed, leaning back against a brick building. He was aware of the voice ahead letting him know how far their entourage hadn't gotten. He shoved his hands in his pockets, not looking at Akefia, instead opting to glare at the ground. "It's not… Ryou isn't like that… he's-" Kek decided to stop talking to Akefia. He wouldn't let the albino goad him on. He didn't have to justify himself.

Akefia didn't need to know how right he was.

He didn't look up, but he heard Akefia chuckle, almost amused. "Sorry I have to be the one to remind you, but don't forget what kind of world we live in. It was a good ride while it lasted, but quit while you're ahead. Stop being a child and start acting like an adult. You know how things go. Let this go on too long and you'll get hurt. Wouldn't want any more scars."

Kek flinched at the last word. There was no way Akefia knew about his back, but then again, Akefia kept many secrets. There was no telling what was going in that albino's head. Kek refused to respond, the silence growing heavy between him. After a few moments, Akefia laughed out loud before stepping away. Kek looked up, baffled as he saw Akefia leaving.

"Where are you going, asshole?" Akefia just turned back slightly, a small smirk on his face.

"Taking a break. I'd been hoping with you back, I'd finally get a break from stupid idiots. But apparently you're just as naive and gullible as the rest of them." Kek bristled at the comparison to the rest of Dartz's entourage. He didn't want to get back into this fight with Akefia. Kek knew a losing battle when he saw it.

"So what? You're gonna pussy out?"

Akefia grinned, his expression almost devilish. "Call it what you want. I'm taking the night off. There's a couple of things I want to take care of. Besides, who am I to deny you the chance to bond with Dartz and his friends?"

Kek snarled under his breath. So this was what it was. Akefia was handing off babysitting duties to him. Remind me why I hang out with this dickwad? "Fuck you, Akefia."

Akefia chuckled, walking away as he waved his hand in farewell. "Have fun."

Kek watched Akefia's retreating form, his own frustration building. Today had been a rather rude reminder of how much life sucked. He felt dejected at how quickly he had been pulled away from cloud nine. Last night had been phenomenal – today reminded him why living sucked. Why his life sucked. And how it would also suck. A perpetual cycle of suck.

Things could turn out well. Couldn't they?

Kek knew it was childish to hold on. Akefia's words rang through his head, scolding him for desperately placing his hope in Ryou.