I am so so so sorry for not updating this in so long! School is insane right now and it's been hard! Summer is soon though, I promise for (hopefully) more updates then!

Quick thank you to the fan art I received on this fanfic, (you know who you are) it warmed my heart to no end!

Now enjoy!

And remember, reviews are LOVED!

Alfred stared up at the ceiling, sighing to himself. He hadn't moved from his bed since yesterday. Which is actually shocking since mother was usually at his neck by now. Literally.

Pushing away the dark humor, he sat up and shook his head. What was he going to do about Lovino? His mother had called him that word. . . Faggot. What did it mean? The way she said it made it sound like something bad. He tapped his chin, he couldn't make sense of this. Nothing was wrong with Lovino, so why was his mother so against him?

Sure his friend was different in the way he dressed, but that didn't mean anything. Alfred actually wished he could wear such clothing. To be able to stand tall with such clothing on would make him feel so powerful. Like he never existed in this dumb neighborhood to begin with.

Focus. What could a five year old do against his mother's command though? Especially his mother. He had no way of calling off the meeting with Lovino either. What did he want to talk about anyway? He looked stressed or worried about something.

Alfred tried thinking of an idea, but didn't get much time as his mother knocked on his door. He sighed heavily once again before sitting up. What did mommy want?

"Y-Yeah?" Alfred called out, tilting his head to the side.

"You're grounded."

Alfred's mouth gaped open, but he said she just ground him? Of all the things she could say after a day of silence, she grounds him? Was she serious? As much as he'd like to ask, he knew he wouldn't even let a peep out. Never disobey mother. So instead he remained quiet, slowly laying back in his bed.

He bit his lower lip as his body trembled, knowing full well how badly he wanted to cry. He couldn't though, maybe that's what mommy wanted. She wants see how weak I am.

He was weak, that was the worst part. There was no denying that. He was a mere five year old kid and she was a grown woman with the strength of a lion, it seemed. There was nothing he could do. He could barely stand up as it was, bruises and cuts along his whole body prevented him peace.

So he did all he could do, trapped in that closet he was ashamed to call a room. He fell asleep.

He wasn't sure what time it was when he awoke. In fact, he didn't want to wake up. His body felt numb and he honestly wanted to rest more.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He kept his eyes closed.

Tap. Tap.

Was it raining?...

Tap.

Finally he decided to open an eye and glance around his room. He sighed, realizing how dark it was. The only light he got was from the small opening in the wall. His mom decided to be a little grateful when changing the disgraceful closet into a bedroom and manage to create, what she called, a window. It was tiny, so tiny he could hardly fit his hand through. Not that he ever tried escaping that way or anything.

He stared at the moonlight gleaming in through the open space, wondering when it had become night. Had he fallen asleep for the whole day? He sighed a bit until he saw something tap against the window. Was that a pebble? What was going on out there? He really didn't want to move, he was still tired. However after contemplating that if the noise continued he'd never be able to sleep, he rolled out of bed.

He walked over to the tiny window, tilting his head to the side. Seriously, what was that? As he finished his thought, another tap could be heard on the screen. He squinted his eyes to check if he could see anything when suddenly the screen was filled with a pair of vibrant pink eyes. Of course seeing this Alfred immediately panicked. What was Feliciano doing out there?!

He took a step back as he heard a small crack above. His gaze being locked on the window, he noticed a line split through it. Was Feliciano breaking it? It's not like he could fit regardless, or at least Alfred hoped. He wasn't really sure what to do at that moment, so he simply stood and stared.

Once a final crack filled the tiny room, shards of glass fell below. It's a good thing Alfred had gotten out of bed, or the sharp ends might have went right through him while he was sleeping! He inhaled sharply, waiting for what was to come.

"Alfred?" A voice whispered, startling the young boy. That wasn't Feliciano. No, it sounded like...

"Lovino?" Alfred responded, eyes widening. He couldn't help the smile that began to spread across his lips. His friend was here! He raised an arm and waved at the boy before realizing how odd the situation was once again. "What are you doing here?"

"Alfred, do you realize anything that has happened the past two days?" Lovino asked, his eyes filled with concern. Alfred had never noticed how pink the blond's eyes were before. He could have sworn his eyes were a nice almond color last time they met. Was he seeing things? Perhaps he just didn't want to think of that magenta shade because he worried he'd see Feliciano on the twin's face.

The past days? All Alfred had been doing was bathing in sadness. He either moped around in his bedroom, or he was sleeping the day away. "No, I've been locked in here! Mommy grounded me," he responded, frowning sadly. Mommy still didn't have to be so harsh.

"It's terrible, Alfred! I came to visit you in that time period, I was scared your mother did something you see, and she..." Lovino trailed off, seeming to bite his lip. It was hard to see in the dark. The nightly shadows seemed to take over the blond's face, making his words that more scary. "She struck me."

Alfred's eyes widened again. He knew what that meant. His mother hit Lovino. She hit his friend. She laid a soiled finger on his clean body. "What?" Alfred just barely managed out, not able to comprehend what he was being told.

"I had my suspicions before, Alfred, but now I'm sure. She abuses you, doesn't she?" Lovino quickly blurted out, ignoring Alfred's question to clarify.

Was this blond insane? He was the one that got hit, yet all he cared for was Alfred's well being? The red head couldn't help the tears that begin to form in his eyes. Never had anyone cared for him this much before. Not even his own mother. Alfred couldn't help coming to one final conclusion about Lovino. He was an angel.

"Alfred! Please, stop spacing out. I want to get you out of there!" Lovino lightly tapped his hand on the inside of Alfred's wall, trying to capture his attention. Ruby eyes glanced up at the older male, full of warmth and sadness all at the same time. "Is there any way that you can come outside?"

Wait, what was Lovino suggesting? That he leave? Just like that? Last Alfred checked he had no money, nobody to come with him, and no friends besides Lovino. Did he forget to mention he was only five? "I can't, I'll wake mommy up."

Lovino shook his head quickly, leaning his face in closer to the now broken window, although careful not to press into any glass. "Do you trust me, Alfred?"

Alfred blinked a few times, keeping his eyes locked on the other's. That was an easy question, "I do."

"Then let's get out of here."

Alfred had to be very quiet. This was going to be the most dangerous thing he had ever done in his life. If he made one wrong move, if he made any noise at all, he may actually be dead in the new few seconds. The main objective was to get to the front door without waking his mother up. He knew this might very well cost his life, if his mother found out she'd be thrown into a jealous rage. He knew this, but something was pulling him forward. He figured it was the fact that Lovino was his friend and that he trusted him, but it felt like something more.

He felt like if he accomplished this, something very good would come out of it. He couldn't tell what, and maybe he didn't even care. All he knew for sure was that he did have to get out of this house. If he stayed he might not see another day in a year from now. His mother was a ticking time bomb just waiting to fully destroy him.

So here he was, opening his door at the pace of a slug. Lovino didn't mind the wait, he had told Alfred to take as much time as he needed. Five minutes must have passed before Alfred got his door open a reasonable distance, so that he could squeeze past it. This was only the beginning though. He had to be able to pass by the long living room ahead of him. His mother's room door was only a few feet away from his. If he slipped up at all, it was over.

Alfred stepped forward, stressing his eyes through the dark in order to prevent stepping on something he'd regret. After he made it past the first step he froze. He put a hand to his ear, listening to see if he heard anything. The house was silent.

When he confirmed it was safe to move on, he took a few more steps. Each movement seemed to grow a little faster as he came closer to the door. He anticipated the cool air he'd been neglected of for the past days. The door was right in front of him in no time. He grinned and reached forward for the knob, but life wasn't going to let him have it that easy.

As he took his final step towards the door, he heard a light clink. He instantly turned his head with exasperated eyes, noticing that he had kicked one of mommy's 'happy juice' bottles. He now stood paralyzed in fear. Even more so when he heard a click from behind him. He knew that sound, he knew it was his mother.

When he heard a footstep from behind, his body began working again. His mind remained frozen, but boy his body didn't seem to want to wait. Before he knew it he had gripped the doorknob and swung the door open. A breeze had slapped him straight in the face as soon as he did. He was about to move when a voice stopped him.

"Alfred, get back inside," his mother demanded. Her voice was stern, cocky even. It sounded as if it knew it was going to get what it wanted.

Alfred knew better though. He wasn't that innocent anymore. He was tainted and he knew. He knew that if he turned around and did as she said, he would be beaten senseless. He probably wouldn't see daylight tomorrow. So he did the most reasonable thing to do at that moment, or at least in his mind. He smiled sweetly and turned his head to his mother.

"You're a bully like Feliciano, mommy."

And he was off, he wasn't sure how fast he was running considering he still had short and stubby legs, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He heard a loud yell from behind him, probably his mother. He didn't care though. He mind had shut down completely. It remained so when he saw Lovino's eyes widen from the street the house lead to from the front door. With an expression like that Alfred could guess his mother looked terrifying.

Lovino seemed to snap out of it though when Alfred gripped his hand. He glanced at the younger boy, but decided to ask questions later. Clearly this wasn't the time. So he returned the firm grip on Alfred's hand and ran with him. They ran while a crazy lady behind them was most likely chasing them.

They ran, and ran, and ran.

Alfred never felt more happy in his life.