SlippingSanity : Here is your next chapter! I'm sorry it took so long, it's just that I was doing some revision on my other chapters to this story. Please tell me if you see any mistakes in this, the past, or future chapters! I really appreicate it!

Disclaimer : I do not own...

Chapter 9 : Shared History

Maurice stared at the bluehaired boy currently sleeping on his bed. His sweatpant covered legs scrambled from under the blanket that covered him. The boys arms were bandaged and his entire chest was hidden behind tightly bound white cloth. The bleeding had stopped shortly after he was bandaged. Syrus hadn't fell unconscience from lack of blood, but rather from shock of the pain of Maruice's 'painting'.

Maurice shook his head slowly, never taking his eyes off of the other boy. He was so much paler than usual...

...and he never looked more beautiful...

The groans and moans of pain comming from Syrus' parted lips were the only sounds in the room.

Maurice smirked, enjoying the 'music'. This was just the begining of a beautiful song soon to play when Syrus actually awoke from his 'peaceful' slumber.

Maurice rose his hand and began stroking his fingers through Syrus' soft sky hair. Even in his sleep, Syrus criged and rolled away from the other boy's touch. Maurice let his hand stay in the air for a few seconds before slowly dropping it unto the matress, his smirk falling quickly.

"I don't see why you wouldn't want to be with me Syrus," He whispered, lowering his head slightly, "I'd treat you far better than that Jaden ever could."

Maurice walked over to the window, looking out over the water.

"No..."

Maurice turned to look at Syrus. His head shook side to side, his eyebrows knotted.

"Never..."

He glared at the sleeping one.

"How dare you!" He yelled back.

Syrus didn't reply, only continued to shake his head from side to side.

"I did treat you well! I'm the reason you have strength! I'm the one that trained you to be strong!"

"No..." Syrus moaned, "...Jaden..."

Maurice ran over to Syrus, raising his from the bed by the bandages.

"Leave him OUT OF THIS!" Maurice yelled in his face, "If it weren't for me being there to supress you at every turn, to pick on you whenever I saw you, to steal your lunch whenever you had it, you would never be strong enough to stand up for yourself!"

No reply. No movement.

"I made you feel small..." Maurice spoke softly, placing Syrus back in the bed, pulling the covers back over his bandaged body, "...so you would fight to grow. Besides, look at you now! Yelling back, slapping me!" Maurice laughed, "You've grown alot. Glad I could help," He smiled.

Syrus clutched the blankets harder, his eyebrows creasing.

"Not you! Jaden!" He yelled, sitting up before falling down on the bed again, "...Jaden..." He whispered.

Maurice growled, clenching his hands into tight fists. Why is it that Syrus kept defending Jaden? Why wouldn't he just let that other boy go and stay with him? Could he not see that from the very begining, Maurice would do anything for him?

"I fought for you Syrus, did you know that?" Maurice asked the sleeping boy. "When we were younger, other people used to talk about you. They used to call you a sissy and a crybaby. I didn't let them get away with it though. Everytime I saw them I fought them. I got into so much trouble for you. I defended you because I did, and still do, love...you..."

Maurice became quiet, his brown eyes widening with realization. He was just guessing when he mentioned Jaden to the other, but now it's so as clear as looking through glass.

His brown eyes glared coldy at the slowly waking boy. He walked up to Syrus, rising his open plamed hand, slapping the smaller one. Syrus's gray eyes opened fully.

"You love him, don't you!" Maurice yelled at him.

Syrus opened his mouth, but instead of a responce, Maurice's ears were graced with the sounds of Syrus screaming. Tears leaked slowly out of his eyes as he pressed his hands to his arms. He screamed louder at the action, letting his limbs fall to his sides. He couldn't explain it, but he was burning. What was happening to him?

The screams of pain grew louder and louder, echoing with the sounds of his sobs.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Syrus cried over and over again to no one inparticular, his body trembling.

"I can make it stop," Maurice began, "if you answer me. DO YOU LOVE HIM?"

"Who? Who?" Syrus practically begged.

"JADEN! DO YOU LOVE JADEN?" Maurice yelled.

Syrus bit down on his bottom lip before responding.

"Yes! Yes I love him!" Syrus cried, wishing his body would stop burning.

Maurice growled, clenching his teeth tightly together. He grabbed tightly on Syrus's wrist, pulling him towards the bathroom. He threw Syrus in and turned the hot and cold knobs at the same time. He then grabbed some scissors and cut the wrappings from Syrus' body. The water poured on him like rain to the ground. Slowly the burning faded, leaving behind a dull throbbing in his skin. Syrus looked down to the shower floor, at his bandages. He bent down and picked one up, observing the stange glittering on it.

'Salt?'

He turned towards Maurice.

"I didn't have any alcohol or peroxide with me, so I used salt."

Syrus nodded absently, his eyes landing on his right arm. Long, winding red lines ran up on his arm, appearing like two red silk ribbons. At parts where the lines intersected, the lines created hearts. The lines then went behind him. Syrus turned towards his left arm. The same designs were there, and the lines led towards his back as well. Syrus ran out of the shower towards the bathroom mirror. He turned his back towards it and looked over his shoulder towards his relfection. Two detailed wings were carved into his skin, reaching from his shoulder blades to his waist.

What had Maurice done to him?

He stiffened as Maurice hugged him. Syrus turned towards him, raising his arms to try to push the other boy away, but it was as it has always been. Syrus was to weak to do a thing. Maurice dragged Syrus out of the bathroom, out of the bedroom, down the hall, and into a wide, long, empty room. Sunlight poured in through all of the glass windows.

Maurice left Syrus' side as soon as they entered, walking towards the center slowly.

"So Syrus," He began without looking at Syrus, ceasing to walk another step, "you love Jaden?"

...If the wings had been real, Syrus would have flown away.