When I woke up the next morning, I could still feel his lips on my forehead. I laid there for a moment and just breathed—it was a little difficult like always seeing as how my lungs aren't good. A sudden twisting sensation rooted in my stomach emerged and I found myself wondering if I was queasy or… something else…

I finally got the nerve up to stand and go to the bathroom. It's Friday now, so my dad's out doing whatnot drugs with Vaati and some others—they're the only people he does them with, sometimes he does them with me, but that's rare, I mean, rare—and mom, well, mom's at work again.

After returning, I yawned and left the door open before fishing out a shirt and undoing my jacket. I stood there a good three minutes just looking at my arms. Wow, they really are as bad as Link said; I thought and shook my head to take off my shirt. I gulped at the sight of my abs. Ok, normally; it's a pale six-pack, but right now… They're a sickly shade of blue, black and purple right in the center. It's a circle… Just as I was reaching down to pull my shirt on, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind and went rigid. Just from the build of his arms, it was a guy. The only one I could think of was Link. Oh god I hope it's not Link- I quickly found my necklace pendant and made sure it was in front of my chest. Then his head rested between my shoulder and neck.

"What-What're you doing?" I stuttered as I tried to look back and see who it was.

"Does it hurt?"

Yep, that's Link's voice.

"What-What're you talking about?" I need more clarification, which part is he talking about?

"There isn't a spot on your back that's not bruised, or your arms, and by the looks of it, your stomach." He whispered in my ear and I felt my breathing hitch. "Does it hurt?"

I didn't answer right away. Honestly, I think I need to look at his face in order to… "Link, let go of me."

"But-"

"Just let go." I sighed and felt his arms loosen slightly; sure it wasn't releasing me, but it was enough to turn around and face him, which is all I need.

"Does it hurt?" He repeated and I looked into his eyes, they weren't dancing.

I pulled my arms around his shoulders and felt him lightly squeeze me again.

I almost said "Only when you don't touch me" but, that's just too close to "I love you," right? So I just settled for "It used to, not all the time now."

His head found my shoulder and I pulled him closer again.

"I'm sorry." He finally said in my ear.

"Why are you sorry? You have no reason to be sorry."

"I had to hit you yesterday. Didn't that hurt so badly?"

"No." I finally answered. "It didn't hurt." I took in a deep breath and smelled a cologne on him, it was deep, and really, really good. "My lungs did though."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I was literally suffocating. If you hadn't hit me, then I'd be dead."

He didn't talk right away. After a while he finally said, "Who does this to you?"

"It's not important."

"Dark, it's important to me." Something about that sentence made my heart sing. "I want to help you."

"There isn't anything to help with, Link. I'm sorry."

His arms pressed into my back and I grunted with pain.

"Did that hurt?" He mocked and I noticed a sudden devilish determination.

I nodded slowly and felt a new rush of pain every time I moved it. That's when I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Who's bruising you?" He repeated and when I didn't answer, he squeezed harder.

"Pl-Please, Lin-k! S-t-op." I practically screamed.

He shook his head and pushed the hardest against my back. I cried out in pain and tried to bite my tongue… only what I bit wasn't exactly my tongue. It was his neck. He grunted in shock and I felt his arms go weak on my back.

"Dark…" I heard a moan come from him and realized that I had started to suck on his skin. "Dark… what… what are you… you doing?"

I pulled my lips off his skin and apologized. "It just hurt so much."

He dropped his arms from me and I released mine, too. I stumbled backwards and hit the wall when he wrapped his arms around my neck.

My eyes were wide as his fingers intertwined in my hair and something warm grazed my lip. Slowly, I worked out what was going on, and put my hands on his waist before letting him in. My first real kiss… Was with Link.