Sorry about this. it appears that i skipped a chapter. i noticed it yesterday when i was rereading everything, so...here ya go ^^

(Hikaru's POV)

"Where am I?"

That is what I woke up to. Teito yelling in my ear as half my body hung off the side of the bed.

"Neh, Teito…Not so loud."

"Don't you care where we are?"

I slid further off the bed, hitting my head on the ground, and looked up at Teito with half lidded eyes. I was dead tired still since the whole poison thing and had been sleeping ever since Frau came and got us. Teito grabbed my arm and pulled me outside, where he was promptly groped by Frau. I yawned as Teito literally kicked Frau out the door and this older lady who smelled of smoke and perfume came up to us.

"I see you two finally woke up. You've been sleeping for a whole day…and you, I heard have been sleeping for a couple of days. Are you boys alright now?"

I nodded and followed her to the bar where I sat on a stool and rested my head on the counter, trying my hardest to pay attention. It was all for naught when we were dragged off and put in waiter suits. Frau was enjoying it, while Teito looked pissed. I didn't mind it so much and decided to make the best of it. Teito and I were behind the bar when an older gentleman asked him for ice wine. I immediately grabbed what I thought would be best and made my way over to pour his drink.

"This is the ice wine of the reesling variety."

Teito looked at me shocked, just as Frau brought over another variety of wine. He pat me on the head and I walked over to Teito.

"H-How did you do that? I didn't know you knew this kind of stuff!"

"My mother taught me everything there is to know about wine. If I ever got the wrong kind I'd be punished…But I guess some things you never forget."

He looked at me concerned until the lady from before told him to make a sandwich. He did well, until he left the knife in the sandwich. I quickly pulled it out and began helping Teito do the other chores. Eventually, Teito went to go help Capella peel potatoes, so I joined them to try and fix Capella's and my relationship. Capella was doing a good job peeling and Teito…well, Teito had a lot of work to do.

"That's amazing Capella. A lot better than Hikaru and I."

"Speak for yourself, Teito."

I held up my basket of finished potatoes and smiled when Frau compared Capella's, Teito's and mine. I turned to Capella, as he told his story to Teito about why he does so well peeling them.

"I did this everyday at home. Everyday, scary people would come to take money and mother would cry, but she would only smile when I made dinner. That's why I always tried my hardest…but we started running out of food and I couldn't make dinner anymore. Mother apologized so many times."

That sounds like me. Only my mother never smiled back. She only ever smiled when she was drunk. I was looking down at the potato peels in my hand, occasionally nibbling on one, when Teito's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Dummy, your mother's definitely sad without you there."

I pat him on the head as tears rolled down his face. He looked up at me shocked and scared, but I just smiled down at him before walking back into the kitchen to begin washing the dishes. I felt Frau's gaze on my back but neither of us said anything as everyone went around to continue working.

I stayed in the kitchen for the most part. Apparently, having a mute be a waiter didn't appeal to the customers and I was told to stay back here. I didn't mind. Like Capella, people just can't get used to me and it's happened so many times that I just stopped caring at some point. It was Teito and the bishops who got me to open up more, but even they can't change the way the world views me.

"Hey, boy. You can go ahead and leave now. Your friends have already gone to watch the festival. I believe Frau is up on the roof and your two friends are on the balcony. Have a good time. After all, it's a dance festival."

I smiled slightly and nodded, making my way towards the roof. I felt as though Frau could help me more than Teito right now, and I got there just in time to see Frau help the ghost who's been following Teito around. I began seeing them ever since I became a bishop, but ignored their presence for the most part. I knew better than to get involved with problems I couldn't fix.

Just then, a large black mass attacked Frau. I wanted to help, but Frau had his scythe and I doubted that I could take care of anything, so I hid out of sight and masked my presence.

"…it can cut though everything. But even a blackened soul like yours can't be saved even by this scythe. Therefore, I will execute your punishment."

Frau attacked the man, biting him on the neck, before the man disappeared. I was in shock at what had just happened and continued to stay out of sight. Even as Teito walked past me I didn't move. F-Frau just…he ate that man. What exactly is going on?

I looked back over at Frau just as Teito ran off saying something about getting towels. Frau turned around with this murderous look and began reaching towards Teito. I had to do something…and I did. I jumped between them and hit Frau hard with my zaiphon. I stood over by Teito, breathing hard, and trying to keep my fear of Frau off my face.

"Hikaru? What are you doing?"

I turned to Teito. I couldn't let him know what just happened, so I smiled and waved him off. I looked back at Frau who was shocked and almost…scared.

"Frau, what was that? You ate that man before an-and you went after Teito too! I thought you were suppose to protect us! I-I'm so confused…"

I fell to the ground in a heap, grabbing my short hair, while trying to make sense of everything that was happening: Frau eats ghosts, he wants to eat Teito and probably myself too, Capella hates me for some unknown reason, and…and it's just too much. I felt a hand on my head and flinched from the contact. It didn't matter who it was, I still needed to get my head in order.

"I'll explain everything later okay? I'm still here to protect you and the brat. So don't over think things too much…I'm sorry you had to see that, now come on. If we don't hurry with our baths Teito'll get worried."

I nodded and rose shakily to my feet before making my way with Frau to the baths. I started with hot water, but after I was clean I switched it straight to ice cold. I needed to clear my mind a bit, but I didn't have the chance. Frau was pounding on the door telling me to get out and to stop wasting hot water. I sighed and shut the water off, before grabbing a towel to wrap around my waist. I walked out and stood next to Frau just as Teito and Capella ran around the corner. I was zoning out as Teito said something about bugs, when Teito knocked his fist against Frau's side.

"You jealous?"

"N-No! In another year even I'll be like that."

I smiled a bit as I stretched my own muscular frame in order to tease Teito. He glared at me and muttered a small 'showoff' under his breath. I just smiled back as I headed to bed. Frau came in later that night and took me out to explain about how he needs to eat tainted souls and about how his scythe has been acting up. I kind of understood, but I would never be able to understand the amount of burden that Frau carries.

(Frau's POV)

I can't believe that kid saw me. I couldn't feel his presence at all! How am I going to explain this. I sighed, pulling my hand through my short blonde hair on my way out of the bathroom. I knocked on Hikaru's door trying to get him to hurry up so I could talk to him, but made the excuse that he was wasting hot water. The odd thing was, when he got out, there was no steam from hot water and he actually looked rather cold. The kid probably took a cold one. Seriously, he's been worrying too much. All of a sudden, Capella ran towards me, so I picked him up as Teito ran into my arm.

"What's the commotion?"

"Capella won't take a bath!"

"No! I don't like baths!"

"You'll get sick, you know."

The argument continued on for a while until we were yelled at for not wearing clothes. Teito knocked his fist up against my abs and I couldn't help but tease him a bit.

"You jealous?"

"N-No! In another year even I'll be like that."

Yeah right. You got the build of a twig. I glanced at Hikaru, who also decided to tease him. It was sorta funny seeing him stretch his small, but muscular frame just to have Teito glare at him. He was more muscular than I expected, too. I had thought he'd be more like Teito since he's been sleeping so much lately, but I guess he finds some time to work out or something. Besides, it was nice seeing him smile again. After hearing Capella's story, I felt bad for the kid. Especially since he and Capella were so similar. The shorty just seemed afraid of him for some reason. Hm, I wonder if I could help them out a bit.

After I had dressed, I headed to Teito's room and snagged Capella right out from under Teito's nose.

"Hey! What are you doing with Capella?"

"Nothing brat. I just need at talk to him for a bit. I'll bring him back later."

I waved over my shoulder as I carried Capella out of the room over to my own room. I set him down on the bed and squatted on the floor in front of him.

"I gotta question for you, shorty. Why do ya stay so far away from Hikaru? Ya scared of him or somethin'?"

He nodded a bit so I sat on the floor, putting my head in one hand.

"Why? What's he done that's got you hidin' behind Teito all the time?"

"H-He's scary. He uses the scary flying words to talk a-and he looks…"

"Let me stop ya right there. You know, you an' him got a lot in common."

Capella looked at me confused, but also slightly curious.

"Nuh-uh! He's big and I'm small and-"

"Slow down there! I'm not talkin' about what you look like! I'm talking about your past…Hikaru was also sold ya know. Only his story's a little different from yours. You said your mom smiled and tried her best to earn money. Your mom loved you, right?"

He nodded sadly as he remembered his mother and I continued.

"Hikaru's mom never smiled or said she loved him. She was a drunk who beat Hikaru when he did something wrong and she tried to kill him. He can't talk now because of his mother, but he was a good kid. He tried his best to make her happy. All he wanted was for her to say she loved him and he was willin' to work harder than everybody else to get that…Do ya really think he's that scary now?"

The kid shock his head violently as tears streamed down his face. The shorty probably felt guilty for how he treated Hikaru and I was sure that he and Hikaru could become really close if they tried. I smiled and ruffled the kid's hair, waiting for him to stop his crying.

"F-Frau nii-san? I-I'm gonna say sorry to him tomorrow…and I'm gonna be nice to Hikaru nii-san now. He's not s-scary no more."

"That's good kid. Now come on. The brat's probably worried I kidnapped you or somethin'."

I returned him to Teito's room and decided that now would be as good a time as any to have a little chat with Hikaru. Let's just hope he gets what I'm gonna tell him.