You guys are all smart and intuitive and stuff like that, so most of you have already pretty much guessed what's going to happen. But whether you know or not, it was going to happen, so here we go with this story that has characters that I don't own. (Did you like my super sneaky disclaimer? No?... Well I did)

Just another short little transition chapter.

"Why the hell are you waking me up?"

"I'm sorry Nezumi"

It didn't matter how 'nicely' Sion tried to wake him. Gentle touches and soft words were easily devoured by Nezumi's fierce animosity towards this particular action. Nezumi was never fond of mornings - marking a new day and new troubles - yet, they were at least tolerable when he could control when they started. Sion hadn't tried to cross that line yet, and even now he was only sticking his toes over. But it didn't matter. The line was there for a reason, and no matter how quietly you cross it, no matter how carefully, a footprint would still remain.

Sion's soft voice floated in the air. "We need to go, alright?" Fingers pulled from Nezumi's hair and a sweet smile coated the room like syrup, leaving a heavily tender feeling that Nezumi hated. It was the kind of feeling you had to take a shower to get rid of.

"Go where?" Nezumi sat up and rubbed his groggy eyes, studying Sion as he pulled two coats from his recently trashed closet.

If Sion was going to wake him up, he thought it would be about yesterday. Nezumi was grateful that Sion let him have a night's rest before trying to interrogate him, so he was prepared to talk, not drag himself out of the building.

"School"

"Your school?"

"Uh-uh, your school"

Nezumi's head recoiled and the tired teen blinked dubiously. "Technically, I don't have a school." He started in an admittedly insolent tone as Sion tossed him a coat "But, why do you want to go there so early and what makes you think I'll come?"

Although he said that, every little sigh or frustrated flux in Sion's movements let him know that he really had no choice. That, and he was already aware of the problem being addressed and the bags under Sion's eyes showed how quickly the typically carefree guy had realized it himself.

"Nezumi, I don't want to argue with you right now. I know it's early, I know it's troublesome, and I know that you shouldn't really be out of bed right now. But we need to do this sooner rather than later."

Sion seemed like he was half here. Where his other half was, Nezumi didn't know, but it probably wasn't a good place. The pacing was starting to irk Nezumi and he was ready to tie up Sion's fidgeting fingers so they'd stop tapping on every surface available. "Nevermind, I'll be a good boy and go, but you're not allowed to cry."

"W-what do you mean?" Sion whipped to him and asked with big eyes that were just waiting to fill with tears, giving the push that rolled Nezumi's eyes.

"I meant what I said. That school has dorms, right? And you don't want me to stay here because I'll get hurt if something like what happened yesterday comes to pass again. So now you're pushing me into the dorms because you think that the school will be safer. And I'm saying that I'll comply like the obedient dog you want me to be, as long as you don't start being all dramatic and get me damp when you try to hug me with a face full of tears." Nezumi cringed inwardly at the blaming tone his voice carried. He didn't care if Sion wanted to shove him off to be someone else's burden. He didn't. Really. It would be better if Nezumi didn't have to worry about all of the debts being built up. It didn't matter either way.

"Nezumi..." Sion sighed and walked to him slowly, kneeling delicately beside the bulge in the blankets that was Nezumi's legs. "I'd just... rather you be safe, and away from me, than beside me in danger." Sion leant to the side so his legs folded exhausted out to the side. "No one should be able to reach you in school... and my school's not too far from there. So, I can see you as much as I can now, while knowing you're in safe hands. I just... I just don't trust myself enough to keep you safe Nezumi."

That was interesting. Nezumi had thought that Sion would drag him through hell and back if it showed that the idiot was the best thing for him. Sion had uttered too many desperate words about him needing Nezumi for the teen to expect to be tossed to the side. But... that wasn't really what he was doing. This was actually the man sacrificing his sanity to keep Nezumi happy.

It was almost sickening. Nezumi didn't need this. He didn't need to be pampered and shipped off in a dog cage so that he wouldn't run away again. This... this was almost offending. Yet... it wasn't sickening, and it wasn't offending. Nezumi didn't have the chance to feel repulsed at Sion's actions because he was too busy marveling in the pure honesty in them. Sion had no ill intentions, not a speck of selfishness dirtied his blindingly white existence. Sion was doing this out of sheer instinct and thoughts about Nezumi's wellbeing; he was a bear taking care of its cub. That was all.

"I'm fine with going. But don't you think you're trusting the school too much?" Nezumi paused and watched Sion's expression morph comically from confused, to sad, to offended, and finally a worried expectant that was asking Nezumi to elaborate. "I'm just saying that you shouldn't expect a place to be safe simply because it has authority. Especially that school." Nezumi wasn't trying to make an excuse so that he wouldn't have to go. No, there would be no reason for that. He just didn't want Sion to cry over him if he got hurt there.

"I know Nezumi" Sion clutched the sheets beneath him like he was trying to hold his hands back. Nezumi could only guess why. "I just think that it'll be safer there. I can't do anything... not a single thing if someone comes to take you away. But they might not even think to go to that school, and if they do, they might not take the risk of going somewhere so public to get to you. Nowhere... will ever be safe enough so that I don't worry. But, I just wouldn't be able to stand it if I did nothing right now and you were taken again"

God... this guy.

When Nezumi became so incapable that such a moron felt the need to worry, he didn't know. When he became so docile that he actually reached out a hand to comfort that fool, not even god knew. But he did all the same. Nezumi leaned forward and threaded his fingers through Sion's snowy white hair that perfectly portrayed the man's naivety, and simply did the best he could at holding an honest gaze with the deep, crimson eyes that always managed to jar him.

"I'll be fine. Even if you don't believe me, I will. I know you don't see me as any more than a little brat, but I can take care of myself. So you'll just have to trust me on this."

It was stupid really. Nezumi could bring an audience to tears with a few well-read lines, but the most he could figure to do now was speak softly, as if that would show he was sincere. He just... didn't know how to be fake in front of someone so real.

Sion smiled his overly sweet smile and reached up his hand to meet Nezumi's, taking it and holding it gently to his cheek with closed eyes. "Thank you Nezumi. I'll try to remember that you're not the well-done kid that came in through my window. But I've always trusted you, so don't act like I never did"

Nezumi swallowed a sigh and pulled away his hand as Sion stood and held out his own to the dark haired teen. Nezumi almost smiled at the challenging gesture. As if he would ever take that hand in the first place, but Sion's defiant expression was telling him that if he took the help he was being offered then Sion would never give up. Once Nezumi accepted his hand there was no going back, Sion would continue to think of him as a helpless kid forever, never giving him a chance to do something in return for those stupid, heartfelt actions.

This kid was getting more interesting.

"No" Nezumi growled, standing up roughly. "I'll sleep with you, I'll let you drug me, and I'll come back to you like a boomerang if that's what you want. But I can walk on my own."

Sion smiled and slipped on his coat. "Okay, just wanted to make sure."

Yeah, transition chapter, blah. But, we'll get to the important stuff next.

whitetear: Sion had no idea what Nezumi meant. He was just thinking that something stupid might not necessarily be bad.

muertz: Thank you for pointing that stuff out, because when I was proofreading I knew it was wrong. I just had a feeling, but I was too lazy to try and figure it out, so I deserve to be called out. Thank you for your wonderful review.

YukoSama: Muchas gracias una vez más. Sus comentarios son siempre tan dulce e informativo. ¿Está mal que me alegro de que te hizo llorar? Probablemente.

Thanks For Reading