I Know What You Did Last Night.

I saw you.

I saw you with… her. I saw all of it Every single second!

I saw her put her filthy, disgusting hands on you! I saw her violate and rape you! I saw her so shamelessly force herself onto you and steal away your purity!

But worst of all… I saw you go along with it.

I saw you bend over backwards for her! Answer her every beck and call! I saw you obey and serve her like a trained dog! I heard the way you made her scream. Saw the things she made you do to her… It was disgusting. Utterly disgusting. God, just thinking about makes me feel dirty. Like I need to take a bath.

I didn't even have a choice! I was forced!

Forced to watch that filthy whore have her way with you!

Forced to watch her do such horrid and disgusting things to your body, my eyes begging, pleading for me to look away as I just watched helplessly. It felt like I was bound to a chair, my eyes forced open as I unwillingly watched your sickening display, repressing the urge to vomit. I tried, though. Tried with every fiber of my being to look away! To rid myself of your disgusting ritual of 'passion!' But I couldn't! It was in my head! Burned into my mind! Even as I forced my eyes closed, I still saw everything! I still heard everything!

The screaming… Oh god, the way she screamed. I don't think I'll ever be able to get that harpy's deafening shriek out of my mind. My ears! They won't stop ringing!

How could you? How could you do this to me?! After everything I've done for you?! After all the love and attention I showered you in?! After all the affection I gave you?! After all the time I spent with you, singing your praises to whoever we met, worshiping the very ground you walked on, and this is the thanks I get?! This is my reward?! This is how you treat me?!

What was I to you? Did you even see me the same way? Had that filthy, disgusting freak stolen you from me? Or were you never mine to begin with?

Was I just a toy to you? An object made for your amusement? A little trinket for you to carry around? An accessory?! Was I something you could just throw away as soon as you found something better?!

Because that's what I feel like right now… I feel like a useless object. A piece of trash, thrown away without a second thought as you focused your attention on something else, ignoring me and leaving me to rot.

This feeling… It hurts. It hurts so very much. It's like somebody's cut a hole in my heart, leaving the open wound to bleed out as they merely stand and watch! Watch the pain slowly kill me! All the while, you stand there, laughing at me! Laughing at my misery! My suffering! My heartache!

How could you hurt me like this, Aaron?

"How could you do this to your childhood friend?!"

Yuri yawned softly as she awoke, the rays of the morning sun peering in from the window, seeping through the narrow spaces of the blinds as she opened her eyes, her body moving to sit up as her limbs stretched out, only for her to gasp sharply in pain, a sudden pang hitting her in the back.

"Dammit. Not again" She sighed in annoyance as she laid back down on the bed, the pain turning into an annoying ache as Yuri's spine returned to its original, straight position. Damn back pains. From the moment she got up till the moment she went to sleep, even so much as a slight tilt or bend of the spine would bring on such sharp pain. Such a heavy discomfort that never went away. Only got worse, to the point where occasional appointments with the chiropractor turned into bi-weekly, regular visits. Not like they helped anyway.

And last night's… intense experience certainly didn't help much either, the ache no doubt brought on from the way her body bent itself last night. This didn't make her regret what had happened though. No, this pain would have happened either way, Aaron and Yuri's little embrace only making her feel it sooner rather than later. As for the cause of the back pains, well it was expected for someone who was more… well endowed than other girls of her age.

She sighed again as she continued laying on the bed, pulling up the blanket to cover her nude body, her hands then gently rubbing her eyes, wiping away the small blur in them, allowing her clearly see the room she had awoke in. Aaron's room.

"It's so clean…" She said quietly, slightly in awe at the cleanliness of the room. She wasn't initially expecting Aaron's room to be a complete pigsty, mind you. But she never anticipated it being nearly spotless, assuming that, at the very least, it'd be moderately messy.

To her surprise though, it wasn't. Far from the opposite. It was actually much cleaner than her own bedroom. Had a rather cozy feeling too. Had the perfect amount of space. Just enough for more than one person to walk around without it feeling too… open. Too wide.

Yuri didn't know why she expected Aaron's room to be dirty initially. She certainly knew it wasn't because she thought Aaron to be filthy, which she didn't! She actually thought Aaron was a rather clean person. Very neat and orderly. Yuri guessed that if anything, her assumption was mostly due to the stereotype of young boys having somewhat messy rooms.

She breathed contently as she laid in Aaron's bed, the room filled with fresh, clean air from one of the nearby open windows, entering Yuri's lungs as she relaxed into the mattress, loving the way her body sank and fell into it, the way her weight made the bed shape and mold to fit her form, a godsend for someone who's back would go ballistic from even bending an inch, Yuri feeling as if she didn't want to leave such a haven of comfort anytime soon. She probably didn't have to anyway, seeing as it was the weekend. Nothing could really stop her from just laying here in her lover's bed, relishing in comfort and relaxation as they laid together.

She then turned to lay on her side, a small smile coming to her face when she saw Aaron, still sleeping soundly, his body all wrapped up in the blanket, covered from the neck down, Yuri watching him as he slept, her eyes glued to his face as she heard the quiet snores leave him.

It was fascinating, the way he slept. Almost mesmerizingly so, Yuri acting no better than a small infant watching a shiny object as she stared intently at Aaron, practically hypnotized.

He just looked so at peace. So calm. So content and relaxed. So disconnected from the rest of the world and all of its troubles, just laying there, head on the pillow and blanket covering the body, the time passing him by as he laid there, sleeping so deeply.

He was like a small child put down for an afternoon nap, resting and relaxing so peacefully as he recovered his energy. Freed from any stress or anxiety brought on by early adulthood, allowing him to just be. To just exist in the moment. To just lay there and let the busy world, the ever revolving earth go on with itself, him being excluded from it, letting time pass without him as he rested.

It was so cute. So utterly adorable, Yuri wanting nothing more than to just stay here with him. Stay here and watch that precious face of his. Watch him sleep. Watch him breathe, toss, turn and shimmy around in his bed. Just watch him exist. Watch him in his peaceful, disconnected state. Protect him as he wandered through the land of dreams, Yuri remaining ever vigilant of his body, guarding it so that when he returned to the waking world, it would be there for him, waiting safe and sound.

She giggled quietly at that, thinking such thoughts to sound so… cheesy. Like something you'd read in a generic romance novel. She liked the idea behind it though. Liked the sentiment. The mindset. The idea of protecting her lover when he was at his most vulnerable. At his weakest.

She wondered what he was dreaming about. What amazing sights his mind had conjured for him. What fascinating scenes his imagination had created. And of course, Yuri wondered if she was part of such things. Wondered if Aaron was dreaming about her. Fantasizing about her.

Maybe he dreamed of the two of them on their own private island, far away from civilization? Laying together in exotic lounge chairs on the beach as they partake in fresh fruit? Or maybe they're standing together on the shoreline? Aaron at Yuri's back, his hands gently gripping her waist as they watched the sun set above the water, the smell of salty sea air combined with the sounds of the waves crashing onto the beach, submerging their feet in the cool sea water.

Quite a lovely picture. A beautiful dream Yuri would be overjoyed to have… and a reality she wished to experience one day.

Her smile grew wider at that thought as her hands gently crept from under the covers, brushing a rouge strand of hair out of Aaron's face before wrapping her arms around his body, Yuri pulling herself closer to him, wanting to close the distance between them. Wanting to hear sound of his snoring. Wanting to feel the texture of his skin. Wanting to smell the scent of him.

"You look so cute when you're asleep" Yuri whispered as she pulled Aaron even closer to her, moving his head onto her chest, her breasts now serving as pillows, Aaron seeming to enjoy the comfort as his arms subconsciously wrapped around Yuri, holding and snuggling her as he burrowed his head deeper into her cleavage, trying to make himself more comfortable, Yuri sighing happily at that as she brought her lips to his forehead, planting a soft, gentle kiss there.

She laid there for what felt like hours, holding her new lover in her arms as he slept through the early hours of the morning, Yuri's eyes never darting away from the sight of his sleeping form. Never turning their attention to something else. Never wandering off. Staying perfectly locked on Aaron, focusing on him as she felt him breathe. Felt the way his chest expanded and contracted as he inhaled and exhaled. Felt his breath crash onto her after leaving his mouth, Yuri trying her best to match his pace. To breathe in unison with him.

These few hours of peace felt like absolute bliss to Yuri. This small frame of time was the definition of heaven to her. These simple moments in which she did nothing, absolutely nothing, were what felt like the best moments of her life.

Just laying here. Going nowhere. Doing nothing. Thinking of nothing. Her mind free. Unshackled by thoughts of school, family and the many other burdens of life, leaving her to focus all of her attention on the person in her arms. To focus only on her love, watching over him as he rested on top of her… She wished time would stop on this very moment. Wished that now, of all times, the earth would stop revolving and just… stay trapped on this one moment. Trapped in this hour. Time no longer passing, leaving Yuri to enjoy the sight of her sleeping lover forever.

Sadly though, the earth was still revolving and time was still passing, the moment now suddenly ruined by the monstrous growl coming from Yuri's stomach.

She groaned quietly in irritation as she heard it, knowing that unless satisfied, the annoying growl in her stomach would never cease. Would only get louder as her need for sustenance was ignored, to the point where it would probably wake up Aaron.

Well… She guessed a little morning snack wouldn't hurt. She'd just grab a bite to silence her stomach and then come back to bed to enjoy the rest of her moment. In and out in less than a second.

She tried her best to move Aaron off of her, her hands slowly pushing him to the other side, trying to be as gentle as possible, so as not to wake him, Aaron falling off of Yuri's chest and back onto his side, his back hitting the wall the bed was catty cornered against, Aaron undisturbed however.

Hmm… Heavy sleeper.

Yuri then quietly left the bed, moving slowly and silently to stand on her feet, initially struggling to keep her balance, her body still a little tender from last night. Once she was able to gain her balance however, she snuck out of Aaron's room on the tips of her toes, slowly shutting the door before walking at a normal pace through the hallway, down the stairs and into the living room, the beams of morning sunlight peering in from the windows now illuminating the whole house.

Yuri stopped dead in her tracks as soon as her hand gripped the railing of the stairs though, her eyes brought to her forearms, seeing the bandages tightly wrapped over them.

Right… She almost forgot about those. Almost forgot about the fact that Aaron had seen what she'd done to herself. Almost forgot that he'd seen the damage she inflicted. The pain she brought onto herself, all for the sake of cheap pleasure. For the sake of libido. A short high of sensory overload. A temporary satisfaction towards a destructive fetish.

She sighed as she moved her arms closer to herself, her fingers gently gliding over the bandages, feeling the texture of them. Feeling the way they tightly clung to her arms.

It felt… so weird. So odd to have her arms bandaged and treated, Yuri never bothering to tend to her wounds after cutting herself, originally due to not having time to deal with them, only for that carelessness to grow into desire. Desire to leave her wounds unchecked. Leave them to ache and cry in pain long after Yuri had made the cut, her liking the way it felt. Liking the slow ache she felt… The lingering pleasure…

"No!" She shouted loudly as she shook those thoughts out of her head, quickly trying to forget about them before… Before the craving came back.

She sighed again. No. This was wrong and she knew it. Now was the time to stop. Now was the time to abandon this painful, awful fetish of hers and seek out more acceptable and definitely more safer means of obtaining her satisfaction.

She couldn't do it back then. Couldn't build up the strength and willpower needed to fight back against the base craving. The urge, causing her to spiral deeper and deeper under its control, her justification being that she wasn't really hurting anybody with it. Only herself, which she was perfectly okay with. Enjoyed actually. But the same justification doesn't work now. Now, Yuri was hurting more than just herself. She was hurting her lover. She was hurting Aaron.

Whether she liked it or not, Aaron was a gigantic part of her life now, every action she would go on to make in the future would be able to effect him now just as much as it would affect her, for better or worse. So now, the old argument doesn't work anymore. The old justifications and principles don't apply. Are invalid. Outdated.

That was for the better though. While many girls Yuri's age would express discomfort and even outrage over the idea of such… baggage, for lack of a better word, Yuri felt as if she needed it. Needed this weight upon her. Needed this limitation. It was for her own good.

Besides, there were other ways for Yuri to satisfy herself. After all, she does have a boyfriend now. A boyfriend who was very understanding. Very sweet. And very… passionate. Certainly, with him at her side, Yuri would find better, safer ways of dealing with her… problem.

A small chuckle escaped her as she continued gazing at her bandages, at first examining them, now almost marveling at them. Marveling in the care that went into their application. The care Aaron gave towards Yuri as he tended to her wounds. It was so sweet. So incredibly kind. It wasn't asked of him or demanded. It was voluntary. He did it because he wanted to. Not because he needed to. He wanted to care for Yuri. To heal her. To help her. Such a kindness… the likes of which she'd never seen from anyone else. Not even from her sisters back home.

She eventually returned her attention to the staircase below her, her hand moving to grip the railing again as she descended.

Right now, it was probably a good thing that Aaron's parents were so inattentive that they no longer lived with him. Imagine them waking up in the morning, only to see a completely naked teenage girl strutting around their home. Imagine the chaos that would ensue. The scene that would cause. The embarrassment alone would be unbearable, even just the thought of it causing Yuri to subconsciously cover her breasts, her cheeks now slightly flushed red as she walked into the living room.

One of the first things she noticed was her clothing, all of it, including her underwear sprawled out over the living room carpet, scattered and thrown about messily, Aaron's clothing not far away from hers as she bent down to pick them up, cleaning a mess she was wholeheartedly responsible for.

After she cleaned up the mess, she began redressing herself, deeming it to be improper to wander around someone else's home stark naked, regardless of anyone present or not, Yuri putting back on her rather lacy purple panties and matching bra as well as her black leggings. She didn't put on the turtleneck though. No, instead she picked up Aaron's white collared shirt, putting it on and lazily buttoning it up, covering her bra.

She was surprised to find that the shirt actually fit her quite well, if a little lengthy in the sleeves, Aaron probably being only a few inches wider than Yuri in the torso, mostly due to his slightly smaller frame when compared to the other boys.

This shirt was definitely more preferable than the turtleneck. Light. Loose fitting. And it breathes too! Perfect to wear during the warm morning. Plus… it smells like him. Has his scent on it, Yuri sighing happily after taking a big whiff into the fabric, just savoring the smell of it. The smell of him.

Ugh… sounded a little creepy, didn't it? A little obsessive maybe? Yuri herself not oblivious to this. It just… It felt right to her. Felt like the right thing for her to do. She couldn't exactly explain it.

Anyways, after redressing herself, she made her way to the kitchen, scouring and searching the pantry, cupboards and the fridge for something to eat.

Oddly enough, the kitchen was rather bare. Had little to no food. And what was around wasn't exactly appropriate for breakfast, a majority of the food in the house being microwavables. TV dinners, frozen foods and instant cook meals, as well as a few boxes of leftover takeout from various restaurants. Things that took barely any effort to make. Pop it in the microwave or leave it on the stove for a few minutes. Come back later and done. Dinner's ready.

Filling as it may be, Yuri didn't exactly like the idea of eating those kinds of foods, especially for breakfast.

She supposed it wasn't Aaron's fault for this though. After all, he is living alone. Surviving off of small packets of money sent in by his workaholic, neglectful parents. He probably doesn't have the resources or the knowledge needed to cook actual food for himself. And judging by the looks of it, it must have been ages since he's had an actual, home cooked meal, leaving him to fill himself with this… junk food, as well as whatever he can order in from restaurants. Poor boy.

As Yuri rooted and dug around in the refrigerator, she eventually found a carton of perfectly good eggs and a pack of bacon all the way in the corner, the expiration date not even up yet, this being the only actual food in the house.

Well, it wasn't much, but Yuri could make due with this. Could whip up a decent breakfast with what she had found. While she originally came for something light, hoping maybe to make a bowl of cereal or something, after seeing what Aaron usually eats, she decided instead to treat him to a real, actual home cooked breakfast. Now, Yuri never claimed to be a five star chief, but at the very least, she knew her way around a stove. Knew enough to make simple meals, and what was more simple than bacon and eggs?

She got to work immediately, firing up the electric stove, two frying pans placed atop. One for the bacon and the other for the eggs, Yuri cracking the shells open, the yoke spreading out in the frying pan, being prepared sunny side up.

"Yuri?" She heard Aaron ask as he walked into the kitchen, Yuri turning her head to see him, a tired, sleepy look on his face, him not being fully awake yet as he rubbed his eyes, wearing a loosely fit tee shirt and pajama pants, this most likely being his weekend apparel. Something he wore solely to lounge around in.

"Good morning, Love" Yuri greeted warmly, smiling at Aaron as she turned to face him.

"Morning" He greeted back tiredly, yawning afterwords. "What are you still doing here? I thought you left. And are you… cooking?" He asked, looking at her oddly, as if he didn't even know Yuri could cook.

"Mm-hm. My apologies, Love. I know it's rude to go rooting through other people's kitchens, especially without permission, but… I wanted to find a way to thank you for last night, so I'm making breakfast for you" She said simply as she returned her attention to the food. "You don't… have a problem with this, do you?" She asked.

"Not at all" Aaron smiled as he walked deeper into the kitchen, only to come up behind Yuri, his chest at her back as she felt his hands hold her by her waistline, Aaron's head resting atop her right shoulder. "In fact, I think it's kinda cute" He whispered, Yuri moaning softly as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her body seeming to lose balance for a second, her back against Aaron's chest as she felt a shiver crawl up her spine, the simple branding of her actions as cute triggering some sort of pleasurable effect on her.

"Oh Love, you have to be careful when you say such things. You don't know the power you have over me now" She stated, shaking herself out of the daze she had fallen into, Aaron chuckling lightly at that.

"Oh, so I've got power over you? That's pretty cute" He did it again, causing Yuri to shiver once more. "Seriously though, you don't have to make breakfast if you don't want to" Aaron stated.

"But I do want to" Yuri insisted. "You took care of me, now I'm going to take care of you. Sit down, please. The food's almost done" She instructed, Aaron smiling as he rolled his eyes, taking a seat at the dining room table, Yuri soon following, carrying both Aaron's and her own plate of food with her, setting down his first before her own, sitting at the chair directly in front of him.

"Wow. This is actually pretty good" Aaron stated, his mouth half full as he praised Yuri's cooking, now immediately digging into his dish, eating as much as possible.

"Good. I'm glad you like it!" Yuri smiled as she ate her own food, happy knowing that Aaron was enjoying his meal. "I take it you don't get to eat food like this that much?" She asked, simply as a way of starting conversation, Aaron's attention immediately taken off his plate and onto Yuri, a slightly sad expression on his face.

"Not really. No" He stated. "I mean, I can cook for myself perfectly fine and all! Well… mostly…" He said, slightly embarrassed at the fact that he wasn't able to work a stove as well as he should have been. "It's just… Why waste the energy, you know? It'd be different if I was cooking for more than myself but…"

"I understand" Yuri said, still smiling as her hand stretched out over the table, meeting Aaron's in the middle, laying on top of his, Aaron able to feel the softness of Yuri's palm. Of her hand. Much softer than his own. Smaller too, her fingers interlocking with his, gripping gently.

"Oh, your bandages" Aaron noticed as he looked at the hand, his eyes drifting up to her forearm, able to see Yuri's bandages, due to the way she rolled up her sleeves while preparing breakfast. "Are you…?"

"Yes, Love. I'm okay. Thank you for asking"

"You're gonna be alright, right? I mean, I don't wanna let you go only for you to go back to… well, you know" He said, somewhat loath to speak of Yuri's act so bluntly, whether out of politeness or simply discomfort, even he didn't know.

"Thank you for showing concern, but you don't need to worry, Aaron. I'll be fine… I think" Yuri stated, her smile disappearing as she sighed. "I'm not going to lie. This will be a difficult, very straining change for me. I might not take it very well sometimes. And some days are just going to be harder than others… but I think I'll be okay. Besides, if anything happens, I can just come back to you! Like I did last night! And… you can help me go through it easier" Yuri said, her smile immediately coming back, only to disappear again, a look of nervousness taking its place, Yuri suddenly getting flustered. "Well… I-I don't mean to imply that I expect you to prioritize m-my needs over your own. I understand that you're very busy, what with school and everything. I don't expect you to be here for me twenty four seven, but…"

"Relax" Aaron said, smiling warmly as he stood up from his chair, moving towards Yuri's, only to bend down and gently peck her on the lips, her cheeks blushing a faint red. "It's okay if you need a little help now and then. That's what I'm here for. You don't have to face this alone anymore. We're a team now, remember? It's us against the world" Aaron stated, his hands gently gripping Yuri's shoulders as he looked her in the eyes, the determination to help his new girlfriend with whatever troubled her visible on his face.

"Us against the world…" Yuri repeated, awestruck by such a simple sentence. "I like the sound of that idea. I like it a lot"

"Good. Because it's not an idea. It's a reality. Our reality" Aaron stated firmly, Yuri chuckling slightly. "Something funny?" He asked.

"I'm sorry. I just… I remember when you first joined the club, you had a difficult time speaking to us. Me especially. You couldn't string together a proper sentence due to the nervousness you felt around us" Yuri recalled. "But look at you now, looking right at me and telling me everything's going to be okay. And so firmly too. So prideful. So sure. You've changed, Love" She stated, a somewhat playful grin on her face.

"Yeah… I guess a night of passionate sex with a girl you really like tends to do that to a guy. Makes you 'man up' I guess" Aaron chuckled lightly, jokingly making muscles with his arms, only to sigh at the fact that… Well, there were no muscles for him to make, his arms as scraggly and scrawny as noodles. Had the durability of toothpicks, Yuri giggling at that as she stood up from her chair, returning Aaron's peck on the lips with one of her own.

"Don't man up too quickly" She whispered softly in his ear. "Well, I suppose I've taken up enough of your time. I may be your girlfriend now, but that doesn't mean I should be breathing down your neck all day. I should be heading home now" She stated as she began walking towards the door.

"Do you uhh… want me to walk you there?" Aaron asked as he followed her out. "I mean, it's no trouble. I can throw on some nicer pants and a better shirt in no time!"

"No no. I should be okay. It's a good walk away, but I'll be fine. Besides, I don't think it's a good idea to bring you near the home just yet. My sisters… They'd-"

"You're not ashamed of me, are you? Too embarrassed by me to show off to your family?" Aaron asked with a grin.

"No! No, that's not it! I swear!" Yuri quickly stated. "It's actually the other way around. I'm embarrassed of them. Don't get me wrong! They're my family and I love them to death, but they tend to get… easily excited. If they found out… oh, I'd never hear the end of it" She sighed.

"They're not…"

"Abusive? Overbearing? Overly protective? No, none of those. It's just that… they make everything seem bigger than it should be. Have a tendency to blow these sort of situations out of proportions. Get incredibly excited over even the smallest changes in my life, to the point where it sounds… patronizing" Yuri explained. "I'll… I'll talk to them about this though… eventually. Try to ease them into the idea of me having a boyfriend. Until then, I'd prefer if we kept our… recent developments on a need to know basis, for the sake of both of us"

"A secret love? Hidden from everyone else? Sounds romantic" Aaron grinned again, Yuri smiling at that.

"Yes. Very much so" She said. "Just thinking about it like that… Our own little Romeo and Juliet story. Well anyways, I had a lovely time and I'd be overjoyed to do this again with you on more… mutual terms, of course. Goodbye, Love" Yuri said as she wrapped her arms around Aaron's neck, pulling him close to give a goodbye kiss, him immediately putting his hands on her hips, kissing back.

"Goodbye" He said after they pulled away.

"I love you" Yuri stated, finally bidding farewell as she walked out the door, leaving Aaron's house and stepping onto the sidewalk, making her way back home.

"I… I love you too!" Aaron shouted to her as he watched her leave, standing in the opened doorway, his eyes locked on Yuri as he watched her walk down the street, not returning to his house until she disappeared into the distance, sighing the moment he lost sight of her, walking back inside and shutting the door.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I just said that…" Yuri said to herself as she walked away, her feet moving of their own accord as she made her way home, a shocked, utterly stunned look on her face. "Oh my god, I can't believe I just slept with one of my own fellow club members! Oh my god, I can't believe that I told him I loved him!" She said, internally panicking, unable to believe what had just happened, the shock of it all finally hitting her as she walked through the small suburban neighborhood.

But… She did say that, didn't she? And he said it back. She did indeed sleep with Aaron, the two of them having sex on his living room couch! And… she liked it. Liked it a lot. Loved it, actually. Wanted more of it. More time to feel that mind numbing pleasure overwhelm her. More time in that lovely afterglow… And more time laying beside her lover.

It… It was true, wasn't it? Yuri's shock and surprise suddenly morphing into a form of giddiness. Happiness, a wide, loving smile forming on her face as she came to her revelation.

What she said… It wasn't spur of the moment. Wasn't thrown out just to be thrown out. Said just to be said. No, it was real. Genuine. True. Yuri really did love Aaron. Loved him in every sense of the word. While yes, this love was still relatively new. Wasn't sitting in the pit of Yuri's stomach for God knows how long, waiting patiently for years on end for her to finally spill her heart out and confess. Wasn't the product of an unhealthy crush or obsession either… But Yuri liked to think it still had the same commitment. The same feeling as those two. The same sense of intimacy.

The same feeling of love, Yuri silently swearing that she'd do everything in her power to elevate it to such feelings. To build it high enough and strong enough to stand beside those two comparisons and call itself an equal to them. To legitimize it as much as possible, even if doing so would prove incredibly difficult.

This wasn't your run of the mill, stereotypical, teenage first love. This wasn't some poorly written romance novel with a plot point that was set up only to be destroyed, resulting in filling the story's characters with hurt, pain, sadness and angst. This wasn't some unplanned, spur of the moment, make-it-up-as-I-go-along ship fic made solely for fanservice.

No, this was something else. Something greater. Something stronger. Something… real, the evidence for this being on Yuri's arms. The bandages.

Would it have been any other boy, Yuri would have been immediately cast out and shunned as soon as they saw her arms. As soon as they saw how flawed and damaged she really was. She would have been thrown away. Treated like a filthy piece of trash, her only purpose from there on out to be thrown away.

But it wasn't the case with Aaron. While yes, he was shocked and surprised when he found out… he never turned Yuri away for what she was. For what she did to herself. No instead, he tried to help her, going so far as to personally clean and bandage her wounds. Not because he felt obligated to, but because he wanted to. Because he wanted to care for her. Because he saw the legitimacy in their relationship just as much as Yuri did, wanting not only to merely assist in building it, but to fully contribute to its creation.

The entire walk home, Yuri couldn't stop smiling. Couldn't stop feeling so… amazing! So happy, as if a swarm of butterflies were living in her stomach, causing her to giggle gleefully.

She just couldn't get over it. She had a boyfriend now! She was in a relationship! And an intimate one at that! And after all the times Yuri thought she'd never meet someone compatible with her. Never thought any boy or man would ever dream to look her way. To acknowledge or pay attention to her. To be romantically interested in her, here Aaron came, destroying such negative thoughts. Destroying the horrible attacks she'd commit on her self esteem, only to then sing her praises. To then call her beautiful. Cute… And kiss her. Kiss her so deeply that she could still feel it on her lips, it being nothing more than a happy reminder of what they now have, instead of a burdening phantom like before.

Though her smile soon faded however as a grim thought came to her mind. What would the others think of this? What would the other club members say once they learned of this union between Yuri and Aaron? How would they react?

Natsuki would make fun of it, no doubt. Tease. Belittle. Laugh. Poke and prod. Make jokes and maybe try to scare Aaron once and awhile. A small nuisance, but not a threat, Yuri figuring that with time, Natsuki would grow to recognize and respect their bond.

Sayori though… Yuri was unsure.

Would she be angry? Hateful? Disgusted? So much so, that Yuri would immediately be put on her blacklist? Her fear of the club president bullying and attacking her, abusing her power just to make Yuri suffer coming true?

Would she be sad? Heartbroken? Break down and cry because of Yuri's actions. Would it… Would it destroy her? Throw her into a deep depression the likes of which she'd never be able to cure? Yuri's lack of consideration turning a once happy, go lucky ray of sunshine into a sad… broken down… bitter girl?

Would it… Would it drive Sayori to… take her own life?

Yuri quickly shook that thought out of her head as soon as it came to her, ashamed that her own mind would even think of such a thing.

N-No! No, of course such a thing wouldn't happen. How dare Yuri! Who was she to think so lowly of her club president?!

While yes, there was a chance of Sayori becoming deeply saddened by the revelation that her childhood friend was now dating her vice president, Yuri figured that it wouldn't hurt her that badly. Certainly not hard enough to make her want to commit suicide!

Even if it did get that bad, Sayori spiraling down into a deep depression, there were always ways to fix that, Yuri still being Sayori's friend first and foremost, always there when needed. Besides, it's not like there weren't people who didn't have jobs made specifically to help victims of depression. Even if it did get that bad, it didn't mean that such a thing would doom Sayori.

As Yuri continued her walk home, she eventually made it into a much more condensed area, the houses changing from simple homes to large brick and concrete buildings. The worn, old road now swapped out for fresh, new asphalt. The sidewalk having little to no plant life or grass near it as large groups of people walked up and down, all of them having something to do and somewhere to go, the peaceful, sleepy atmosphere of the suburbs replaced by the hustle and bustle of downtown, Yuri trying her best to move through the crowd as she approached her apartment complex.

She made her way around the building, entering a dank old alley that lead to the back, Yuri looking up to see the fire escape, which was how she left her home last night.

She had to sneak out. Couldn't walk right out the front door at such a late hour, lest her sisters find out. Besides, they'd probably stop her from going if she did, not exactly keen on letting their beloved family member out at such a late hour, only to pay a visit to a boy they didn't know, leaving Yuri with no choice but to use the fire escape, which was conveniently accessible from the window in her room.

She grunted in frustration as she looked up at the escape however, finding that someone had pulled up the retractable ladder needed to get up! The culprit most likely being an overly concerned neighbor, fearful of thieves, Yuri sighing as she looked around, not seeing any way of reaching the fire escape without the ladder, there being nothing for her to climb on.

No trash cans, dumpsters, cars or boxes, the alleyway bare, causing Yuri to grunt again. Great, now she had no choice but to use the front door, sighing as she backtracked down the alley again, reaching the entrance way to her building, walking up the stairs and entering the lobby.

A small one. Not very big. Had a few chairs and a couch, meant for general lounging, as well as a front desk, the man behind it too busy tending to his work to notice Yuri as she silently stepped into the elevator, the sound of a light buzzing coming from inside as the light flickered faintly, Yuri pressing the button, causing the elevator to ascend, wobbling slightly.

Yuri's complex was in no way dirty or cheap, just in case such descriptions of it had given that impression. No, it was just old. Very old, things like the elevator shaft having aged slightly. Still working perfectly well, of course.

Yet, for as old as the complex was, it was still one of the more nicer places in the downtown area to live, outclassed only by the fancy hotels and high class, costly buildings further down the street, in the more expensive area of town.

Yuri's home was sort of a happy middle ground between that sort of high class living and what was more commonly seen as suitable for the middle class. You know, the white and blue collars. The workforce. Whatever you wished to call them. In a layman's term, her home held a few of the same creature comforts while still being somewhat affordable, to the point where a single person who worked modestly could hold down the mortgage without the need for assistance. Perfectly able to maintain their home and still be able to enjoy other comforts.

That wasn't to imply that Yuri's family were wealthy, however. Part of a more elite sect of society that could have whatever they wanted with a snap of their finger. No, Yuri's family was far from that. They were just able to get by well enough to live comfortably, their finances relatively average.

The elevator finally rang as it came to the fourteenth floor, the doors opening to reveal the hallway, Yuri stepping out as she made it to door eleven, her home. She griped the door knob, twisting only to find the door locked, Yuri not in possession of the key and fearful to knock, lest she wake her sisters, who were most likely still sleeping. Besides, she's trying to sneak into the apartment, remember?

She then began fumbling around the door frame, her hands gliding through the top, only to pull out the spare key, left behind in case such a thing like this happened.

Yes, Yuri knew this was a stereotypical trope, often only done in television, as well as being a gigantic risk to home security. But after the many times the spare had helped Yuri and her family when they became forgetful, it proved more useful rather than detrimental, Yuri inserting the spare into the lock, feeling it click into place with the tumbler before she opened the door, slowly so as not to draw attention, shutting it and silently tip toeing into her apartment.

"Welcome home, Little sister!" A rather gleeful shout came from the living room, Yuri nearly jumping in surprise before cursing internally, angered that she had been found out before she even entered her own home, causing her to sigh.

"Hello Yuna. Good morning" Yuri greeted as she entered the living room, seeing a slightly older woman sitting comfortably on one of the chairs, a hot cup of freshly made tea in her hand, the sound of the television filling the room, broadcasting the morning news.

As stated before, the woman in the chair was slightly older than Yuri. Her facial features more defined. More chiseled. Less girlish and more womanly. Her eyes much more focused. More piercing. Her voice slightly deeper. More mature and aged. Sultry. Seductive even, her body reflecting said maturity, having much greater curvature. A better hourglass figure with muscle to boot, making Yuri look almost scrawny in comparison.

Her hair was a darker shade of purple. More akin to a midnight blue, pulled back tightly and tied in a long, fluffy ponytail.

This was Yuri's older sister by five years. Yuna. Now her primary caretaker and guardian, due to their parents no longer being on this earth.

In many ways, Yuna and Yuri were very similar yet different, the both of them sharing the same physical features through the years, Yuri expecting to mirror her older sister once she came of age. Personality wise however, that was where the differences came in. While yes, both Yuri and Yuna were rather mature and often spoke the same way, shared some of the same hobbies and enjoyed the same things, Yuna was more… energetic. More peppy. Always in a relatively good mood. Cheerful. Friendly. Much more confident around strangers as well. An extrovert in every sense of the word.

Actually, now that Yuri thought about it, Yuna was a lot like Sayori, personality wise. Not a one to one mimic, but still very similar. So in a way, Yuna was somewhat of a mix between Yuri's interests, behavior and appearance as well as Sayori's personality and disposition.

"A good morning to you as well, my dear little sister" Yuna said with a smile, her head bowing slightly, Yuri doing the same. "There's a little bit of tea left in the kettle. Why don't you pour yourself a cup and come sit with me" She suggested, Yuri nodding once as she walked into the small kitchenette near the living room, pulling out her favorite teacup from the cupboard and pouring her tea, returning to the living room, sitting on the couch next to her sister's chair. "That's better" Yuna said with a smile. "Now, where were you? Why did you leave the house so early in the morning?" She asked, Yuri looking her way, her mind trying to think of what to say as her eyes darted from one side of the room to the other nervously.

Sufficed to say, she wasn't planning on stating that she snuck out in the middle of the night and had rough sex with this one boy from her school, all because her hormones went crazy, to the point where she'd almost been driven insane.

Okay, just… think. So, she's sitting down in her comfy chair, having her morning tea and watching the news, a snow white bath robe being the only article of clothing she was wearing. Odds were, her sister had just woke up and only recently stepped out of the shower, no doubt only being awake for a few minutes. She's rather lazy on weekends. Sleeps in longer than usual.

"I… um, decided to go for a morning walk" Yuri said before taking a sip of her tea, hiding her mouth and looking away from her sister in an attempt to hide any indication that she was lying. Well, it was a half truth, somewhat. After all, Yuri did in fact walk. And it was still morning. "It just didn't feel right being cooped up in the apartment on such a nice day. I wanted to walk around a bit. Breathe in the fresh air and all that"

"In… a long sleeved, white collared shirt?" Yuna pointed out, Yuri almost spitting out her tea in shock, realizing that she still wore Aaron's shirt. "Isn't that a man's shirt?" Her sister pointed out again.

"O-Oh. This old thing? I… I've always had this. It's my sleeping shirt, so you've never really seen it. I know it's made for men but… I like the comfy feeling of it. The openness. The way it breathes" She claimed.

"And you went for a walk in it?"

"Well, it was just so lovely outside, I didn't want to waste a minute. So, I decided against changing"

"Hmm…" Yuna looked at her inquisitively, Yuri feeling like she'd cave in at any second under the gaze of her sister's piercing eyes. "I suppose it is rather beautiful outside. I can understand why you'd want to savor every second. Shame you had to go alone though. You should have woke me up, I'd have gone with you" She smiled lightly as she stood up, walking into the apartment's kitchenette, placing her now empty cup of tea in the sink.

"W-Well. I didn't want to bother you. I know how you wish to be left alone on the weekends" Yuri stated. "We can go for a walk together tomorrow, if you want to"

"Yes. Yes, I think I'd like that. I would love to spend some time with you, dear sister. I feel like you and I don't really connect as much as we used to, what with me working a lot and you dealing with your schoolwork" Yuna said. "By the way, how was your festival? I wanted to go but I was too busy with work last night. How was your poetry performance?" She asked, knowing fully well of Yuri's involvement with the literature club. She was the one who actually encouraged Yuri to join, hoping that it would help her sister socialize better.

"It went… relatively well. A decent number turned up to the performance and I had a little fun with my friends"

"And…" Yuna giggled slightly, a mischievous grin on her face. "How did our little makeover work out for you? Did you get the attention of any boys?" She said teasingly, giggling again as she saw Yuri's face flushed with red, only to have her hide it in one of the throw pillows.

This was one of the reasons Yuri wanted to keep her relationship a secret from her family, mainly due to how desperately they wished for Yuri to get involved in a relationship, no doubt in her mind that once they found out she had a boyfriend now, they'd start dancing in the street or something. Make it a bigger deal than it was. Practically interrogate Yuri in order to know all the juicy details. Invite Aaron to their home, only to then obsess over the fact that he was dating Yuri, embarrassing her and making him uncomfortable at the same time.

"I umm… I did get some looks, yes" Yuri stated, her head slowly peeking out from the pillow she hid her face in.

"Ooh! Really!? Tell me all about it! Every detail! How many looked at you?! Did they say anything?! Did you say anything back?! Were they kind?! Were they mean?! Were they cute?!"

You see what Yuri was talking about? Now imagine this, only with Aaron on the other side of a diner table, Yuna playing detective all night, interrogating Aaron and Yuri simultaneously in order to know everything about their relationship.

"I-I don't exactly remember. It was a… It was a rather long night" Yuri said, not wishing to answer any of the questions as she took a second sip of her tea.

"Oh. Okay then! At least you got some attention. That's all the matters. Now, breakfast time! Are you hungry?" Yuna asked.

"No. I already ate" Yuri said nonchalantly, only to than cover her mouth after realizing what she said, almost ratting herself out.

"Already ate? When? Where?"

"Um… A restaurant! While I was walking, I stopped at a restaurant and got breakfast" Yuri said, narrowly covering for her mistake. "Sorry. I… I just got really hungry on the walk, so I stopped for a bite"

"Oh, okay then. I guess I'll be making breakfast for two instead of three" Yuna stated as she dug into the refrigerator, pulling out the things she'd need. "Yuki! Breakfast!" She called out into the small hallway on the other side of the living room, a door all the way at the end opening up, a small child, no older than ten walking out of one of the bedrooms, fully clothed in light purple colored pajamas, her matching, short hair nearly reaching the bottom of her neck as she dragged herself into the living room, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she yawned.

This was Yuri's little sister, Yuki, being a much younger, more childlike version of her two older sisters. She was very mature for her age, often speaking very clearly and with a much more mature vocabulary than other girls her age, sans vulgarity, obviously.

Was rather bright as well. Very literate, choosing to read books as her source of entertainment mainly, rather than sitting in front of the television all the time. Though she was very mature, she was still a child and still acted as such, to the point where other than being slightly odd, she wasn't shunned by other children or had difficulties connecting to them like her sister did when she was younger.

A blessing in Yuri's eyes, not bearing the idea of her sweet, innocent little sister going through what she had dealt with. Not having to be seen as an outcast, unable to connect and bond with those around her, often scaring others away, Yuri happy to know that her younger sister was still able to have a relatively normal social life.

Now, there was the whole… involvement of Yuri's mother. Her dying because she gave birth to Yuki, but Yuri and Yuna never threw any of the blame on their baby sister for that, even if it did leave them without parents, their father dying soon after. No, Mother died because she got over excited. Went into cardiac arrest as soon as she saw Yuki, the doctors unable to save her in time, resulting in… Well, you know. But never once did the two blame Yuki for that. Never even thought of blaming her for that. In their eyes, she was and always would be their baby sister. An important member of the family that needed their love, care and protection.

"Good morning, Big sister" Yuki said tiredly to Yuri, yawning twice as she sat beside her older sister on the couch, Yuri smiling at her.

"Good morning, little one. Sleep well?" She asked.

"Too well… Want to go back to bed" Was all Yuki said, Yuri giggling slightly at that.

"Well, don't worry. Just eat your breakfast and then you can go back to sleep, alright?"

"Are you enjoying the food, Natsuki?" Her father asked as he watched her eat, seeing his daughter practically stuff her face, the fork almost barbarically digging into the food, only to then be quickly shoved into Natsuki's mouth.

"Mm-hm. It's very good. Thank you for taking me out to breakfast" She said gratefully as she continued eating, not even bothering to swallow her food before speaking.

"Don't talk with your mouth full. Table manners, girl" He hissed quietly, Natsuki swallowing her food almost immediately after that, perhaps swallowing too much, nearly choking on the amount she forced down.

"S-Sorry" She apologized immediately, her father only sighing at her actions, his daughter now looking awkwardly towards the ground, as if to avoid eye contact.

As previously stated, her father had taken her out for breakfast this morning, the two sitting together outside a relatively popular restaurant in the downtown area, which had a small sitting area for customers to eat their food outside, should they either choose to, or be unable to obtain an actual table inside.

"Now, do you know why I've taken you here for breakfast?" Natsuki's father asked, her immediately remembering her table manners before speaking.

"Umm… Because there's no actual food in the house?" Natsuki answered reluctantly, her father glaring slightly at that, a small yet angered look on his face.

"What are you talking about? I went and bought food yesterday"

"Umm… No, you didn't. You didn't buy food for the house. You bought food for yourself. Half the stuff you brought home, I didn't even have a chance to eat! Not like I'd want to anyways" Natsuki stated, a slightly irritated tone in her voice.

"Oh, well excuse me, Princess. But I don't exactly remember giving you permission to be picky" Her father said bitterly, treating his daughter's words almost as if they were a personal attack. "You know, you should be more grateful, Natsuki. You do realize that there are children in other parts of the world that don't eat in general, right? Do you have any idea how selfish you're making yourself look right now?" He asked, the tone in his voice sounding very irritated, angered, aggravated, her father trying his best to keep himself contained in order to prevent causing a scene.

"I-I'm not being picky and I'm not being selfish! I'm just saying that…"

"I wasn't done talking. Don't interrupt me, please. It's rude" He growled lowly, Natsuki almost immediately shutting up, her father sighing again as he shook his head, only to bury it in his hands. "There you go again. Always trying to get in the last word. Always wanting to have the last say in everything. Always managing to piss me off in the process. And after I so generously took you out to breakfast as a way of apologizing for last night. I do all this for you, only to get shouted at. Only to be screamed at. Only to be put down and told that everything I do is wrong! You're just like your mother, Natsuki!" He jabbed, Natsuki's brows jumping at the mention of her mother, only to then fall slowly, Natsuki's head gravitating towards the ground again, looking down at her shoes as a small sniffle could be heard from her, a small tear seen falling from her eye. "And here come the waterworks" Her father sighed again.

Natsuki's mother was a… sensitive issue for her. Too sensitive to be talked about in front of the girl, her father knowing this fully well, yet refusing to refrain from making that comment, Natsuki now genuinely upset, trying her best to avoid breaking out into a crying fit.

"I'm sorry…" She sniffled again. "I just… I don't like talking about it"

"I don't understand what I ever saw in that bitch" Her father scoffed, his hand motioning, brushing away the wind, almost as if he was trying to brush the thought of his wife away. "That's where your gratitude problem comes from. Her. She was always so ungrateful for everything I did for her. Everything I gave her. Every time I came home from my day of back breaking labor, what did I get? Did I get a loving wife waiting eagerly at the door for me? Oh, welcome home, Husband! You must be tired! Come inside and I'll make you dinner! I wish! No, all I got when I came home were arguments! Fights! Shouting and screaming matches! Only for my wife to one day leave me on a whim! Leave me with a child to care for on my own!"

"She didn't leave…" Natsuki whispered quietly, her father pausing his rant to look at her. "You… You threw her out. Told her to pack her bags and never come back!"

"yet, she still decided to walk out on us. Abandon us! Abandon you! Thinking that leaving us without so much of a care was the better option. Better than trying to work with me! Better than putting her pettiness aside and focus on taking care of our daughter! All because she was just too dissatisfied with the idea of having a family!"

"You made her miserable. She didn't leave because she didn't care… She left because she couldn't take it anymore! Couldn't take you anymore!" Natsuki finally spoke up, not able to hear her father's lies any longer. "Every night may have been nothing but fights and arguments. Nonstop screaming matches. But that was only because of you! You shouted and snapped at her for no reason! Called her the most… disgusting things! I even saw you hurt her once! I know she wasn't the nicest person, but she didn't deserve that!" She nearly yelled.

"How dare you talk to your father like that! You little…" He said as he stood up from the table, a fearful look on Natsuki's face as she cowered in her chair, Her father stopping mid sentence to look around, only to see other people looking at him. Glaring. Shaking their heads in disapproval, the ones with children present immediately leaving the scene, unwilling to subject their own children to such a sight. One woman even had her phone out, ready and willing to dial the police at the first sign of abuse.

He father sighed as he tried to compose himself, Natsuki peeking her head up. "We're leaving" Was all he said to her.

"But…"

"Please… Don't be difficult. Get in the car. Now"

"Y-Yes, Sir…" Natsuki said meekly as she stood up, abandoning her half finished food as she left the sitting area outside the restaurant, making her way to the parking lot, her father following behind, opening the passenger side door for his daughter, waiting patiently for her to enter.

Only… She didn't. As she stood in front of the car, her attention was focused on… something else. Her father looking in the direction of her eyes, only to see them focused on someone walking down the street. A woman.

Rather young looking thing. Thin. Somewhat tall, given her age. Wore a lazily thrown on men's shirt, the sleeves longer than her actual arm's length, the cuffs of the sleeves covering half her palms, her hands moving up to gently brush her long, violet purple hair as she walked down the street.

Natsuki watched the girl as she walked, hearing her father scoff in the background, making a side comment about how unorthodox her hair color was, doubting for even a second that it could be natural, even making a comment that if Natsuki were to wear a similar color, she'd look incredibly tacky, the girl herself barely able to make the color work.

The entire time Natsuki stared at her from afar, she felt the burning desire to run. Wanted to run right through the street and into the girl's arms, begging, pleading for forgiveness… and protection. Protection from the danger she knew awaited her, as it did many times before, Natsuki thinking that this girl would be more than willing to guard and protected her from this… monster, once water was under the bridge again.

"Natsuki. Car" Her father commanded, Natsuki sighing as she tore her eyes away, the willpower to act on her feelings nonexistent.

"Yes, Sir…" She complied, her voice so low and meek, barely a whisper as she climbed in the passenger's seat, her father slamming the door shut before getting in the driver's side, sighing as he started the car and drove home, a glare on his face all the while as his eyes watched the road.

An uneventful, brief trip. Quiet. Neither Natsuki nor her father ever speaking or looking at each other.

It was not long till they were back in the more suburban area, the car pulling up to their house, Natsuki's father shutting down the engine before walking out, opening the door for his daughter.

"House. Now" He commanded, Natsuki reluctantly stepping out of the vehicle, walking towards the front door slowly, as if she intended to stall time, only for her father to grunt angrily as he pushed her forward, Natsuki struggling to keep her balance as she was forced closer to the door, her father opening it for her. "In" He said, Natsuki gulping nervously as she stepped into the house.

Dark, especially for morning time. The blinds and curtains attached to the windows shut and covered, preventing sunlight from entering the house, the narrow amounts of light that did manage to peek in only barely illuminating the home, giving everything a thick, gray tint.

"You pathetic, little bitch!" Her father shouted angrily as Natsuki felt his hand slap her on the back, causing her to yelp in pain as she fell forward, only to collapse on the coffee table, leaning against it, sniffling and breathing unevenly as she felt the sting from his attack, struggling to stand back up, only for her father to grab her by the back of her head, forcing it down into the coffee table, Natsuki not strong enough to break free. "How dare you talk to me like that, you little cunt! Me! Your father! I brought you into this world, you ungrateful brat! I created you! And this is how you treat me?! This is how you show your love and respect for me?! By berating and insulting me out in the open?!"

"I… I…"

"Shut up!" Her father shouted. "So, I made her miserable, eh? And how did I do that, exactly? By opening my home to her? By giving her the best few years of my life? By letting her relax in a spacious house in the suburbs while I slaved away day and night to make sure it wouldn't get taken away?! By giving her a child?! And that brought her misery?!" He practically screamed, only to sigh as he released his daughter. "Please. Okay, so I can get ornery once and awhile. Maybe it's a little too easy to get me fired up. But that doesn't cause misery. You want to see real misery? Go find a homeless person. Say what you want about your life, Natsuki. But at lease you have a roof over your head. A warm bed to sleep in. Clean clothes… And a loving father"

"Please… Stop…" Natsuki begged, crying as her tears stained the coffee table.

"Stop? Stop what?" her father asked coyly. "Stop pointing out your ungratefulness? Your entitled attitude? Your spoiled, unsightly behavior?"

"Stop… Stop hurting me! Stop yelling at me! Stop insulting me! Please!" She cried, her father only sighing as he shook his head. "I didn't even do anything! You're hurting me for no reason! You just want to!"

"No, Natsuki. That's not it at all. I'm not hurting you, I'm teaching you. Teaching you respect. Teaching you to be more grateful for the things I've given you. The life you have because of me. I'm teaching you something your mother was too stupid to learn! But you… I know you understand. You're just too stubborn for your own good. Too selfish. Too entitled. I'm just trying to teach you that your attitude doesn't work. It's called tough love, Sweetheart" He chuckled lightly. "You're under the delusion that your mother was a good person. She wasn't. She was an ungrateful, disrespecting bitch who'd rather spit in my face instead of showing me a little common courtesy! She was a filthy, good for nothing, backstabbing whore! And you'll end up just like her if you don't start behaving, girl! I'm sick and tired of your shit!" He shouted, Natsuki only whimpering as she cried over the coffee table, her back to her father, too fearful to look at him.

"I'm sorry…"

"No, you're not" Her father shook his head again. "You're just saying that. Lying to me again. Only this time, you can't even look me in the eyes! Humph, I think somebody needs a little… discipline"

"No! Please! No more!" Natsuki screamed fearfully as she fearfully curled up into a ball on the floor, quivering expectantly.

"Oh, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Still though, you've misbehaved. Now you're being punished. That's how this parenting thing works, Natsuki. You'll understand when you have children of your own" He stated, his face deadpanned. "Now, your punishment… I hope you enjoyed your breakfast, because it's the last thing you'll ever eat for the rest of the day! Starting now! Oh, and you're grounded! Room! Go!"

"Bu-But I-"

"Just do as I say!" He shouted.

"Y-Yes, Sir! A-As you say, Sir"

"You're goddamned right, as I say" He scoffed as he watched his daughter pick herself up, slowly walking up the stairs and into her room. "Don't come out until you've learned your lesson!" He said as he watched her reach the top, Natsuki entering her room, shutting the door, only to then fall onto her bed, her head buried in her pillow as she let it all go, the safety of her room allowing her to let it all out without shame, just crying as hard as she could, her pillow nearly soaked.

She struggled to understand him, her mind often aching and overworking itself whenever she attempted to understand the way he thought. The reasons behind his actions. The justifications. She didn't even think he had any of those. Didn't think he had or really needed a reason for being so… cruel, Natsuki now just assuming that this was just who he was.

He wasn't always like this though. In Natsuki's younger years, around the same time she took elementary school, he used to be very loving. Very kind and caring. But… Something within him… It snapped at some point, her father taking a dark turn, morphing into something, someone different. Almost as if he'd been replaced by a duplicate, looking similar to the original yet acting so differently.

Natsuki never really knew the cause for such a shift, even after trying so hard to narrow down the problem. It wasn't anything to do with alcohol, as her father was almost never drunk. It wasn't pressure or stress brought on from overworking, though Natsuki supposed that was a part of it. Maybe he was just violent all along and hid it so well until Natsuki came of age. Maybe he was just born cruel. A lot of people are.

Maybe it was Mom. Maybe all the anger and tension brought on from their many fights finally broke him, causing the change.

She… She wasn't a very kind woman. Not cruel or heartless, mind you. Wasn't physically abusive in any particular way, but… Her presence. Her mannerisms. The way she spoke and treated others… It wasn't exactly friendly or welcoming, if you got Natsuki's meaning.

She was one of those She's not so bad once you get to know her kind of people, Natsuki being a very, very toned down version, just to put it in perspective.

Dad loved her though. Loved getting to spend even just seconds in her presence. Loved being by her side. Just loved being near her.

Natsuki couldn't exactly define the relationship they had back then, mainly due to her being too young to remember what they were like before… everything. But, there was love there… at some point, even if that love mainly came from her father. Natsuki didn't exactly understand the attraction behind it. For all intents and purposes, her mother was in fact, stone cold. A real ice queen. A total bitch in every sense of the word, Natsuki wondering why anybody would wish to be married to someone so… unappealing.

Then again, some men out there like the idea of having a wife like that. Maybe it was the power dynamic of it. Or maybe Dad had the goal of trying to turn Mom into a better person. Or maybe he saw something in her that nobody else did. Natsuki would never know.

Most of the fighting those two had, even in Natsuki's younger years, back when things were supposed to be 'normal' were the fault of her. The fault of Natsuki, her birth not exactly being… anticipated. She loathed to admit it, even in her own mind, but it was the truth. She… She was an accident. Something that wasn't supposed to happen, only becoming a part of this world because of carelessness from both sides.

Originally, Dad was overjoyed at the idea of a child, regardless of gender. But Mom… Natsuki didn't know if it was because she wasn't ready for such a commitment… Or if it was because she despised the idea of caring for someone other than herself.

Whatever the reason, Mom was never very… motherly. Never committed even a second of her time towards her daughter's needs, even when she was just a baby, Dad having to take on all her care. And as Natsuki grew older and older over the years, her Mom never once seemed to care about her, going so far as to practically push her away. Not exactly hating the child just… not wanting anything to do with her. Not wanting to associate herself with her.

Would you believe it if Natsuki told you that her mother had never once spoken to her? Never once looked her way or called her daughter? Nope. Never did any of that. But she did yell though. Yelled quite a lot with Dad, Natsuki often being the topic of their… loud discussions.

One night, it got so heated between those two, that in a rush of anger, Dad told her to pack her bags and leave if she hated this family so much… And she did. Left right then and there. Left behind a home. A family. Leaving her daughter with no mother whatsoever and leaving her husband wifeless.

Looking back, it was a threat that backfired. It had to be, Dad simply saying that as a way of ending the argument only, not expecting her to actually do it.

When she walked out of that door so long ago… She took something away from him. Took some part of him that he desperately needed with her, causing the aforementioned snap, the idea of losing his wife generating this hatred of his own daughter, one he originally loved and cherished, now despised and hated, all because her very presence ruined his marriage.

The very idea of this caused Natsuki to cry harder, tears now coming down like a waterfall as she grabbed the gigantic panda bear from last night, clutching it tightly, like a little kid would do with a security blanket, crying into it as she laid on her bed, her father silently peeking his head through the door, scoffing at her as he shook his head, passing the door by as he went about his own business.

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"No… Stop… Go Away… Get away from me!" Sayori screamed as she jolted up, immediately awakening from sleep, only to find herself laying on the floor in her room, right next to her bed, assuming to have fallen off of it as she looked around the room, her head frantically swiveling side to side, almost as if she didn't know where she was, only to sigh in relief once she discovered that she was indeed, in her bedroom, the light of the morning… well, now afternoon sun peering in from the window.

She sighed as she struggled to pull herself up off the floor, her body feeling oddly weak and fragile, as if it were made of glass, her head pounding hard in pain as she clutched it lightly.

What a nightmare that was… Like a demented fever dream, yet it felt so real, like it was actual reality, only making it all the more horrifying to Sayori, her brow covered in nervous sweat as she walked weakly out of her room and into the bathroom, her hands under the sink before splashing water on her face, hoping it would make her feel better.

She didn't bother showering, brushing her teeth or even changing her clothes. What's the point anyways? Not like she had places to be.

The entire time she washed her face, the images from that… horrifying nightmare would occasionally flash back into her mind, making her jump slightly in shock, their sudden flash giving her a good fright. But the scariest thing out of that entire nightmare was her… That girl. That one figure Sayori could have sworn she knew yet couldn't place.

She didn't know why she was so fearful of that one woman, even though she looked like the most non-threatening person Sayori had ever seen. Downright harmless even. It was just… her aura, she guessed. Her presence. It felt so… disturbing. So chilling. So dangerous. So… scary, Sayori thinking that spending even a second in this girl's company would result in her death, yet still unable to recall or even understand why she felt like this.

Now, Sayori's had nightmares before, only to wake up safely in her bed and go Wow, that was a weird dream! But this didn't feel like a dream at all. Didn't feel like a simple nightmare, maybe because it wasn't.

I mean… it had to be a dream, right? Sayori stumbling into her room, only to find her own body hanging from the ceiling, being chocked to death by… nothingness, only to then be visited by… her. Come on, how is that not a dream?! Things like that don't happen in real life!

But then again… Is this even real life at all? Is this truly reality? Or is this… something else? Something different? A different set of rules? A different board with different pieces? A different game with different players…

Different… life?

"What the hell?" Sayori asked as she shook herself out of it, those odd thoughts now vanishing from her mind. That… That was weird. Too weird, Sayori never thinking so hardly about something as simple as life before. How hard can you even think about that kind of stuff? Life's life, right? No two ways about it.

Anyways, odd thoughts of the universe aside, Sayori finally finished cleaning herself up, exiting the bathroom and walking downstairs, entering the kitchen only to hear the sound of a radio playing, following the music into the kitchen, she saw her mother inside, merrily humming along as she cleaned.

"Umm, Mom?" Sayori asked, her mother smiling as she saw her daughter.

"Finally awake, huh? You slept in later than you usually do. Anyways, good morning, sweetie! And how are we feeling today?" Her mother asked cheerfully, Sayori grunting slightly as she held her head, the headache still pounding, though slightly less so.

"A little out of it. But I'm okay… I think"

"Aww, my poor baby isn't feeling well! We can't have that, can we?! Well, never fear! Mommy's here! What can I do to cheer you up, sweetie? Are you hungry? I know it's a little late for it, but I can make you some breakfast, if you want. Pancakes? Waffles? No! French toast!"

"F-Food? Umm… Sure, I'll take some of that" Sayori said, her mother smiling as she stopped her cleaning, now focusing on making her daughter breakfast, even though it wasn't morning anymore. "Umm, Mom? Where'd you go last night? I came home but didn't see you" Sayori asked, her mother turning around to look at her oddly.

"Yes you did. I said hello to you the moment you walked through the door but you ignored me. I didn't get too mad though, I suspected you weren't feeling right and just left you be" She replied, her smile still on her face as she went back to preparing her daughter's food.

"You… were there?" Sayori asked. "And… what did I do when you came back?"

"Oh, you walked around a bit. Poked through the fridge. Watched TV and then went right up to your room. You had a little trouble on the steps, but you made it up okay. You were probably just tired" Sayori's mother assumed. "Is everything okay, Sayori? Are you sure you're feeling alright? You're not sick, are you?" She asked in concern.

"No… I'm okay, I think" Sayori said, somewhat dismissively. "I just didn't… sleep well. And my head really hurts"

"Oh, poor thing. After you eat, you go right back to bed, okay? Take it easy for the rest of the day"

"I think I'll do that. Thanks, Mom"