Author's notes:

Trigger warning, this chapter includes mentions of SA/rape and explicit violent flashbacks.

Kaoru swept back inside his house to find Miya looking overwhelmed and slightly panicked. Wracked with guilt for inflicting this evening on the boy, he knew it was only likely to be harder on them from here on out. Sliding into a kneel next to the dining room table, he brought himself level with the hunched teenager and attempted to be gentle and non-threatening in his approach. "Would you be more comfortable sitting over on the sofa, now that it's just us?"

Wide green eyes scanned his face before giving a small nod, Miya took to his feet and shuffled after Cherry into the man's cosy living room.

Kaoru took a seat on the furthest side of the couch and pointed towards the empty space with his fan, hiding his smirk when Miya eventually deigned to sit down with a huff, crossing his slender legs under himself in a distinctly cat-like way.

Kaoru recognised the physical similarities between himself and his guest, he'd been all knobbly knees and attitude too at Miya's age. He found himself wondering if it was something Miya was concerned about and sincerely hoped that, if it was, the boy would be lucky enough to have a growth spurt similar to his own. Kaoru had eventually filled out, a little, and shot up to a more reasonable height during high school. Just in time too as being clever and snarky only carried you so far. Although, Miya's build was deceptive. While he may look younger than his 13 years, he was an incredibly impressive and powerful skater. Cherry had no doubt that in a few years he'd be a true force to be reckoned with, whatever size he ended up.

They sat together in somewhat-comfortable silence before Kaoru eventually took the plunge. Wanting to be supportive and straightforward, and with Miya's wellbeing at the forefront of his mind, he tried for a calm tone, ending up with something scarily close to his professional voice. "Miya, I don't want to push you or make you feel pressured in any way. I just worry about you. So, if you ever need me, or want to talk about anything, I'm here to listen. It doesn't have to be right now but please understand that you can reach out to me or Kojiro anytime. We're not going anywhere. You aren't alone in this."

Miya groaned and hid his face in his hands, the words he eventually managed to grit out were quiet and somewhat muffled. "Adam used to go on about a skater whose skills he developed, but I had no idea he meant you, Cherry. Whenever I'd land something difficult after working on it with him, he'd say I was as precious as his little 'Sakura Mochi', and that he couldn't wait until I was older because there were so many more amazing things he'd get to teach me."

Kaoru paled, holding his fan to his lip as he fought the sudden urge to vomit. Until now he'd conveniently forgotten the skin crawling pet-name. Although, he tended to baulk at the dainty confections even now and remained unable to stand mochi in particular. A shame, considering he'd always had a sweet tooth for sakura flavours. Despite everything Ainosuke put him through, Kaoru was a stubborn ass and had held onto his 'Cherry Blossom' skate persona, leaning even further into it. He'd worked hard to reclaim the name for himself, refining his style and then adding Carla into the mix. Cherry was his own person, and he didn't need anyone to make him strong or define him. He was also pissed. Super pissed. Why Adam felt entitled to claim a hand in Kaoru's skate style, which had been developed through years of blood sweat and tears, was beyond him. Bitch, please.

Looking back at the vulnerable young man beside him, Kaoru cooled himself with his fan and tried to snap out of his reverie. There were more pressing issues at hand than his own bruised ego. He knew he was going to have to push the topic now, not liking the sound of whatever Adam wanted to 'teach' Miya. Leaning forward again, his brows drawn together in worry, Cherry had to know for sure. "This is important, Miya. Please know that I have no choice but to ask you this. Has Adam hurt you or ever touched you in a way that made you feel uncomfortable?"

Miya paused for an achingly long time, looking pensive before eventually shaking his head. "I got the feeling sometimes that he wanted to, when we were alone in the back of his car or whatever. He'd go quiet and look at me funny, but he never did anything. Although, there was that one time in Tokyo, but it's really not that big of a deal."

Face frozen in horror, Kaoru swallowed past the dry lump in his throat and pressed for further clarification. Internally praying that Adam, monster and crowned dickhead that he was, hadn't sunk to the sort of depraved depths he was now imagining. "Can I ask what did happen, that one time?"

Curling his hands in his lap, Miya shifted as the tense silence stretched. "He, erm, well… he gave me something. Or left me something. Was it the same for you? When you two… back when you were together, or whatever. Did he ever, you know, do anything like that? Leave you with a weird mark, I mean?"

Eyes widening at the implication of Miya's words, Kaoru had to fight every protective instinct he had not to draw the boy into his arms. Instead, bracing himself, Kaoru calmly loosened the top section of his navy yukata, gracefully slipped an arm out and twisted around, swiping his hair aside to reveal the old scar on his lower back. In a clipped tone, Cherry answered. "Now that you mention it, he did leave me a little keepsake. True romantic that he is."

Amongst the expanse of pale skin and lean muscle definition, Miya could make out a dark and prominent burn in an irregular shape. Shyly bringing a tentative hand to Cherry's back once the man nodded his consent, he let out a choked breath when his fingers brushed against the pattern, recognising it instantly.

/ FLASHBACK KS

They had stopped skating to catch their breath. Kaoru was messing around with his lighter, setting fire to a few newspapers and bits of broken pallet in the abandoned warehouse they'd found, while Ainosuke sat beside him and twiddled with his ring absentmindedly. The blue haired teen inherited the flashy jewellery and liked to wear it on occasion, the design featured a Shindo family crest with an 'S' initial. Ainosuke reached between them for the lighter and Kaoru, distracted by the rising flames, passed it over without a second thought. It wasn't until he'd been pinned down on his back with the hot and angry design in his eye-line, that he realised what his partner intended.

Struggling furiously, Kaoru was shocked. Sure, Ainosuke had been more argumentative and physical with him over the last few weeks, leaving the odd bruise here and there, but until now it was never anything he couldn't handle. Already accustomed to keeping his family and friends in the dark, he'd easily hidden the growing marks from everyone, even Kojiro. Did Ainosuke really want to hurt him? Trying to get his boyfriend to meet his eye, Kaoru was still hopeful this was just a joke to scare him and let out a nervous laugh. "What the fuck?! Are you planning to brand me with that thing or something? You can't be serious."

Ainosuke grabbed Kaoru's chin and forced his face away, pushing him roughly over onto his front. Once he'd moved the cascade of pink hair aside, he hungrily bit into the exposed skin at the nape of Kaoru's neck, grinding down against his ass. The blue haired boy then leant closer to whisper in his ear. "Shhh my little Sakura Mochi. Don't act like you're not getting what you wanted. Tonight, I'll take what's mine. And after we're done, when I leave tomorrow for America, everyone will know who had you first and who you belong to. Not even Kojiro will want you when I'm finished. Now Cherry dear, be a good boy and stop squirming, or this will hurt more than it needs to."

Kaoru had always taken a particular pride in his appearance. Something Kojiro fondly teased him for, calling him 'princess' whenever he preened over his clothes or hair. It was hardly his fault that the 'effortlessly dishevelled' and 'I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks' style he wore actually took a lot of maintenance. The inevitable skating injuries that marred his fair skin were one thing, and he was no stranger to the local piercing parlour, but as much as he loved Ainosuke, Kaoru had no intention of allowing himself to be marked against his will like some sort of possession or flank of meat. It was his body, and he decided what he did with it.

Kaoru chose to ignore Ainosuke's words of warning, continuing to pull against the stronger teen's grip. "Have you lost your fucking mind? This isn't funny anymore. Get the fuck off me. NOW!"

Resisting with everything he had; Kaoru wasn't going down without a fight. He swung his head behind him and caught Ainosuke deftly in the face, following that up with a sharp elbow to the gut. He'd just clambered to his feet, ready to sprint towards his board, when the young man retaliated violently, kicking his legs out from under him before deliberately bringing his forehead down against the concrete. Ainosuke followed that up with several strong punches and kicks to his side which knocked the wind right out of him.

Dazed and gasping for breath under Ainosuke's weight, Kaoru's stomach dropped as his shirt was rucked up. An uneasy feeling washed over him as he finally figured the direction they were headed. His blood ran cold as the hands fondling his chest dropped lower to undo his uniform trousers, before shoving them and his underwear down his legs. What had gone so wrong between them that Ainosuke thought he'd enjoy this? Kaoru didn't want his first time to be out here in some scummy shithole. With tears already falling, he tried again to make his wishes clear. "Please stop Adam. I'm sorry for hitting you. Give me a chance to fix this. We can skate somewhere, anywhere, else. Whatever you want... Please?"

Ainosuke didn't answer and continued his ministrations as though he'd not heard the softly spoken plea, unbuckling his own trousers and spitting into his hand.

Fighting against the concussion clouding his senses, Kaoru was still able to discern what was happening to him against his will. "No. I don't want this. Stop. Ainosuke, please... why are you doing this to me?"

Ainosuke gripped his hips tightly in the darkness and rubbed against his frozen body, seeking his entrance. Scared and numb, Kaoru didn't understand. How was his boyfriend hard at a time like this? Was Adam really so fucked up and out of it that he was getting off on his fear?

Not slowing down to prepare them, Ainosuke forcibly pushed himself inside Kaoru whilst driving white-hot metal through the skin on his back. Overcome with pain, and not knowing which part of his body hurt most, Kaoru writhed and screamed in distress while the blue haired teen above him laughed at his efforts. Uncaring, Ainosuke started ruthlessly pulling out and driving back in.

They were out in the middle of nowhere and there was nobody to hear Kaoru's cries. Eventually, he gave up trying and went limp. While inexperienced, Kaoru instinctively knew the act was rougher on him than it should be. Ainosuke seemed determined to make this as demeaning and painful for him as possible. Why would he do that? He knew he could be difficult to be around at times, sulking and getting into trouble, but he couldn't think of anything that warranted this sort of treatment. Kaoru felt hollow. Was he stupid for thinking Ainosuke cared for him? Had their relationship been this one-sided the whole time? He dearly wished he'd stayed home after school like he was supposed to. Having snuck out once again, nobody knew where he was or who he was with. Although, Kojiro could probably guess…

When Ainosuke was finally sated, having inelegantly pulled out and spilled himself over his partner's crumpled form, Kaoru was kneed over onto his back. Suddenly trapped underneath his boyfriend once more, Ainosuke ran a gentle (almost mockingly tender) hand along his cheek and stopped to thumb at his lip piercing. Without further ado, the metal was unceremoniously ripped from his mouth and tossed onto the floor. So far gone within himself, the pain barely registered and Kaoru did little more than twitch as fresh blood trickled down his face. Ainosuke seemed annoyed by this and grabbed Kaoru's delicate throat before starting to squeeze even more harshly. Already at his limit, it didn't take long for golden irises to finally roll back in his skull. The last thing Kaoru heard, before passing out, was the boy he loved calling him a boring waste of time.

FLASHBACK KS /

Kaoru refastened his yukata and blinked to clear the excess moisture from his eyes, feeling his mask slip once again. He'd long considered getting a tattoo to cover the scar but couldn't decide what he wanted. Over the years he'd simply ignored the blemish and had wrapped himself in beautiful fabrics instead. Thinking on it now, he ruefully acknowledged that it could have been worse. The shape was ambiguous and could easily relate to his own last name, at least it wasn't a heart, or an 'A'- heaven forbid. He'd never explained it to a partner though, and Kojiro only knew because he'd helped fix him up that night. When Kaoru had regained consciousness, left alone and broken on the floor, he'd called the one person in the world he knew he could trust.

Miya, his lip trembling at the rare sight of Cherry's vulnerability, silently lifted the hem of his hoodie on the right side, revealing an identical S shaped wound on his hip. It wasn't nearly as deep and ugly as Kaoru's old scar but would still leave a sizeable mark once it healed. His eyes welled up as everything rose to the surface, opening the release valve on his own tightly guarded emotions. "He-he said it was a promise."

Mortified, Kaoru listened intently as the boy confirmed it happened during a recent exhibition event. They'd been in a fancy hotel walking from the function room back through a storage area where the boards were kept. The room was industrial, with a large water heater in one corner and Miya hadn't seen Adam coming until he'd been suddenly pushed against the wall. The older man cupped a hand over his mouth while his other groped under his sweater to press the scalding ring into his side. The pain was brief, lasting only a few seconds, and Miya's yelp of shock had been swallowed by Adam's large palm. As quickly as it had happened, he was released. Shaken and bewildered, Adam put a guiding hand on his shoulder and lead them back out into the main corridor, nodding and talking pleasantly to the other skaters they passed as though nothing was wrong. As though the young person at his side wasn't fighting to hold back tears that he himself had caused.

Seeing red, Kaoru grit his teeth. He was going to kill Adam. How fucking DARE he put those grubby hands on one of his kids! Kaoru's own fucked-up experience with the psycho was shitty enough, but they'd both been teenage delinquents together. This, right here, was a grown man using his wealth and authority to prey on literal children. The whole thing was unacceptable. Completely fucking unacceptable and he wasn't going to stand for it. He knew Kojiro wouldn't either, once he knew what was going on.

Forcing his own indignant anger aside with great difficulty, Kaoru tried to focus. This night wasn't about him; it was about Miya, and right now the kid looked as and alone and confused as he'd been when Ainosuke had turned on him. What could he say to help? Dammit, Kojiro would know what to do. He had always been better at this, having been the one to comfort him when he needed it most. Ah, first things first. Envisioning Kojiro's natural radiating warmth, he deliberately softened his features and leaned across the couch to pull Miya's hoodie back into place. Meeting the teen's eye, and with as much sincerity and tenderness as he could imbue into the action, Kaoru took the boy's hand gently in his. "Oh Miya. I'm sorry this happened to you."

Miya looked so small, swamped by the fabric of his baggy clothes, but he resolutely gripped Cherry's hand back. "I'm sorry he did this to us."

Kaoru wondered whether there were more skaters out there with their own nightmares about Adam and sincerely hoped not. This needed to end, and it needed to end now. Witnessing the teen in front of him try so hard to be strong, Kaoru's blood had reached boiling point. "He's the one who should be sorry! Not us, Miya. It's his mistake and, may I say, he's chosen the wrong people to fuck with."

After a beat, still fuelled by violent rage, Kaoru's mind was working on overdrive. "For starters, as of right now, he's no longer your sponsor. I am. Well, not me personally. It'll have to go through Sakurayashiki Calligraphy, of course. We shouldn't have a problem spinning it though, if the decision is ever questioned."

Miya's mouth dropped opened in shock.

Frowning at Miya's reaction, Cherry wondered if he'd crossed an unspoken line and swiftly released the teen's hand. Why had he still been holding it? It was no wonder Miya looked worried; he obviously didn't want to be pawed at like that! What a stupid thing to do. Kaoru just didn't want Miya to feel like he was being led from one trap into another and tried to explain himself. "Only if you wanted that, of course. I'm sure you've had lots of offers from bigger and more relevant companies than mine over the years, what with the Olympic team's interest. Either way, I will help you separate your affairs from Adam's, so you won't have any contact beyond S."

Shaking his head slowly in disbelief, Miya leaned forward in his seat. "Are you serious? Like, actually for real about this Cherry?"

Kaoru pushed his glasses up his nose, revealing the fire in his golden eyes. "Completely. I'll have the legal papers drawn up and we can issue Adam a formal notice of termination that transfers your contract to me."

Miya was overcome, nobody had ever stuck their neck out for him like this before, not even his parents. Actually, especially not his parents. They'd never much given a damn beyond the money and publicity he brought them. Launching himself straight at Cherry, he threw his arms around his waist and hugged the older skater tight, ignoring the way the pink haired man had stiffened at the unexpected show of affection.

Huffing out a small chuckle, Kaoru tried to relax and wrapped a loose arm around Miya's back to return the hug. He tilted his head down at the cat contentedly sprawled across his lap. "I take it, that's a 'yes'?"

Miya grinned widely. "Hell yes, it's a yes. Let's do this!"

All business, Kaoru was already running through scenarios and their possible roadblocks. "Great. Now, to get the timeline sorted, when is your next engagement together?"

Miya swore under his breath, his face falling. "Ah shit, it's tomorrow. Adam's supposed to pick me up from my house at noon. I-I don't know if I can face him but fuck, it's way too late for me to cancel now."

Kaoru tightened his arm protectively around Miya. "Fuck it. Tomorrow it is. I'll run you back now and then collect you again in the morning to accompany you to this event myself. There's no way I'm letting you anywhere near that bastard's car."

Amazed at the show of care from the normally aloof man, Miya didn't want to get his hopes up too soon. "Won't you have other work stuff to do tomorrow?"

Scoffing at the suggestion, Kaoru's diary was for him to manage (…or Carla) but certainly not something for the young teenager to add to his list of worries. "Yes, but nothing so important that I can't move things around. As my latest investment venture, you're my first priority. Now, we really are getting late, so shall we make a move? You'll want to be well rested before tomorrow's competition. I'd never have kept you out this late if I'd known you were skating tomorrow..."

Miya bit his lip. "Erm, about that… Could I just crash here tonight?"

Kaoru blanched at the suggestion. "That's probably not the best idea, Miya. Your parents will already be worried, and I'm not prepared to start explaining our relationship to them before we've got the paperwork ready. Won't they be concerned that you're staying overnight with a relative stranger? And an adult man at that?"

Shrugging, Miya looked down at his phone. "Actually, they're both away right now. I'm in on my own, so there's no one we need to convince or seek permission from."

Eyebrows rising into his hair, Cherry was astonished. "In on your own?! Since when?"

Miya winced at the concerned tone; he wasn't a clueless little kid. "Erm a few weeks, I guess? They do this all the time though so it's not a big deal."

Cherry was incensed. "Miya, you and I are going to have a little talk about what does and doesn't constitute a big deal," He watched Miya wilt in acceptance before continuing, "but that'll wait for another day. You've left me with little choice; you can indeed stay the night, and we'll call at your house in the morning to get your board. Unless you have anything you'll need for bed? I don't mind driving over now if you'd prefer. Also, while we're at it, do you have any documents with your agreement with Adam stored at the house? If so, we may need them too." It wasn't like Kaoru was going to get any sleep tonight anyway.

Miya chortled. "Seriously, just how old are you, Cherry? It was all agreed and signed digitally."

Kaoru pinched the bridge of his nose, starting to forget exactly why he was putting himself through this aggravation. "Forgive me for trying to be prepared. Are said files stored on your home computer, parent's inboxes, or externally in the cloud? It'll just take me a bit longer to pull everything together if I have to 'acquire' them first. I need to know what I'm up against."

Miya was secretly impressed; he hadn't known Cherry Blossom had those sorts of skills. Not that he was going to compliment the older skater, it wasn't their style. "No need, I've got them on here."

Eyeing the phone Miya was waving, Kaoru was glad that there was one less hurdle to climb and called aloud. "Carla, please set up a new sharing folder for M. Chinen." Meeting Miya's eyes, he dropped his volume and explained. "Send it all to me then. You'll be able to pair your phone with Carla, she'll already be listed in available networks."

Miya nodded and trawled through his emails, sharing all the documents he had with Cherry's female-voiced AI system.

In the meantime, Kaoru got to work arranging his spare bedroom. He wasn't entirely unprepared for guests, despite having never actually invited anyone to spend the night at his home. Kojiro's repeated visits didn't count. The man just outstayed his welcome, like the uncultured buffoon he was, usually passing out after one of their late-night drinking sessions. On reflection, Kaoru wasn't sure if Kojiro had ever made it as far as to grace this room with his presence, annoyingly able to sleep anywhere, he'd normally just stretch out on his sofa (or floor). Huh, was it weird that young Miya was the first to have forced this hospitality out of him?

By the time he was satisfied with the bedroom set up, Cherry left Miya: a towel, a toothbrush, a phone charger, and an ugly T-shirt of the gorilla's to sleep in. He'd just happened to have the orange polyester hung up in his closet. There wasn't a particular reason, it was just less hassle to keep the shirt than return it to the idiotic owner… especially after holding onto it for so long. He was fully aware there'd be no living it down (and it wasn't worth that sort of risk).

After giving a brief tour of the amenities and confirming that Miya was welcome to use his bathroom and personal products, Kaoru had left him to it.

Settling down on his sofa, laptop in hand, Cherry had Carla work through Adam's documents for loopholes and painstakingly mirrored the language for his new and improved sponsorship agreement. Once the final contract was ready, all that was left were their signatures. Given Miya's age now, he'd included an additional section for his parent or guardian, but Kaoru ensured the legal wording considered Miya responsible for his own career decisions and was therefore valid even without the extra approval. Signing it himself with a flourish, on behalf of Sakurayashiki Calligraphy, he finally felt ready to face Ainosuke down.

Wanting to do something extra for himself, Kaoru gathered his traditional inks and tools together. With a wry smirk, he decided that whatever Miya said, there was no harm in going a little old school. He was old, after all.