That night, Ken woke up in terror, seeing in his mind again the flashback of that terrible day.

The hooded figure…the gun…the blood…

‘Oh god….’ Ken rasped, hand going to his head as he began to shiver violently, his body in cold sweat. ‘I thought I was over this…’

The door to his room opened then, and his brother stood there.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked Ken with concern.

‘Yes’ Ken answered hastily. ‘I'm sorry to wake you. Go back to bed.’

‘I heard you scream’ his brother said. ‘Are you having night-terrors again?’

‘Yeah’ Ken replied reluctantly.

‘I thought you were over them.’

‘Me too.’ Ken turned to him. ‘You should go to bed. I don’t want to keep you up.’

‘As long as you're sure you're ok.’

‘Yeah’ Ken nodded. ‘I'm fine.’

His brother lingered a moment longer, then went away.

The door closed, and Ken was left alone again.

‘Why?’ Ken whispered, head in his hands. ‘Why is this happening again?’

His heart jolted then as he realised something.

Mustang……could Mustang be the reason I'm having these nightmares again?

Weeks pass

‘You haven’t seen him since the incident’ the therapist said. ‘It makes perfect sense you are having these dreams again. He’s triggered these memories in you…he was the one who saved you that day…he is a very important person in your life…you care for him…’

‘You're right’ Ken said to his knees. ‘I do.’

Ken rose. ‘Thank you’ he said. ‘I should go now.’

‘But you still have time left’ the therapist told him.

‘It’s ok’ Ken said, moving towards the door. ‘I'm…meeting him again.’

‘Mustang?’

‘Yeah.’

‘You’ve been seeing him for several weeks now haven’t you?’

Ken paused at the door.

‘Yeah’ he said again.

‘Your family don’t approve of him do they?’

‘No’ Ken said. ‘They don’t.’

‘Why?’

‘Because….’ Ken narrowed his eyes. ‘He turned to the therapist again. ‘You’ve really helped me out these past few months. I just hope I don’t have to come back.’

He smiled. ‘Bye Ken’ he said. ‘Take care.’

Ken nodded, and left.

A short while later and Ken was sitting opposite Mustang in a café, watching silently as Mustang slurped his milkshake loudly.

‘Can you stop doing that?’ Ken asked. ‘It’s annoying.’

Mustang paused, glancing up at him.

‘Sorry’ he mumbled, putting the drink down. ‘I didn’t mean to annoy………why are you looking at me like that?’

‘I'm trying to figure you out’ Ken mused aloud, weaving his fingers together and mumbling into his hands as he leant forwards on the table. ‘I don’t even know where you begin with you.’

‘What's to figure out?’ Mustang said loudly, throwing his hands in the air. ‘I'm just a normal guy. You are the one I find interesting here. I am trying to figure you out.’

‘What's to figure out about me?’ Ken asked.

‘Well…I was wondering, why would a person like you, who is so against everything that I am, want to spent time with me? It’s almost like you're comparing our lives…as if there is something wrong with your own…’

Ken stared at him, wearing a shocked expression now.

‘I was wondering’ Ken spoke aloud, ‘how can someone be so carefree?’

‘I've already answered this question’ Mustang replied, stirring his milkshake. ‘You only live once…best to make the most of it.’

‘No’ Ken shook his head. ‘I don’t think that explains it. It’s something else…it feels more like you….don’t care about your own life…’

Mustang began to slurp on his drink, giving Ken a blank expression.

‘I know your life is your own’ Ken went on, ‘but I can’t help thinking…what would your parents think if you had died that day?’

‘I-’

‘What would your parents have said’ Ken interrupted him loudly, ‘if you had died?’

Mustang pursed his lips, giving a sigh, his shoulders slumped.

‘They would be devastated.’

Ken leant back in his chair, sighing and shaking his head.

‘Maybe I should stop trying to figure you out…its seeming to be an impossible task…maybe there is no answer.’

‘That’s more like it’ Mustang gleamed. ‘Stop trying to figure me out and figure yourself out.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You're confused’ Mustang said to him. ‘I feel like you are showing more interest in me than you should…not that I mind…I quite like you….but I think it has to do with something more than just me saving your life.’

Ken frowned. ‘Maybe you're right’ he said. ‘Maybe I should stop comparing our lives…and stop trying to understand you…’ he lifted his coffee and took a sip, finishing it off.

‘Are you done?’ Mustang asked, indicating the cup.

‘Yeah.’

‘Hold up’ Mustang said hastily, slurping loudly on his milkshake again, before putting it down and rising. ‘Ok. I'm done’ he said happily. ‘Should we go?’

‘Sure’ Ken said, pushing back his chair and standing.

They left the café, walking across the street they made to cross the road.

Ken grabbed Mustang by the arm suddenly, jerking him back.

The car that nearly hit him whizzed by. Ken let go of Mustang’s arm.

‘What are you doing?’ he hissed. ‘You can’t just walk out into the road!’

‘Ken’ Mustang smirked smugly at him, completely unfazed by what had just happened. ‘What's it going to do? Hit me?’

Mustang turned away, tutting and muttering under his breath as he moved away, walking into the road again.

Ken’s heart jumped in his chest then, feeling suddenly nervous for Mustang.

‘Hey Ken!’

He turned towards the source of the noise, seeing Alyssa skipping up to him.

‘There you are’ she sighed. ‘I haven’t seen you in ages. Why haven’t you called me? Why haven’t we met up?’

‘I'm sorry’ Ken said to her as she stopped before him. ‘I was busy today’ he said turning to Mustang, who stood now in the middle of the road, waving back at him and ignoring the cars that drove by either side of him in opposite directions.

‘You blew me off today to be with him?’ Alyssa said with disgust.

‘He saved my life’ Ken told her flatly.

‘Why are you so interested in him? You're always together.’

‘That’s not true.’

‘We were supposed to go out together today’ she whined. ‘Why did you choose to be with him?’

‘Because he was available’ Ken replied. ‘You couldn’t come out today remember?’

‘But…why are you with him?’

Ken narrowed his eyes.

‘Do you have a problem with Mustang?’ Ken asked, voice growing quiet in his anger.

‘You know what he is’ Alyssa snapped. ‘I don’t want you hanging out with him anymore.’

Ken balled his fists, drawing a deep breath.

Mustang placed a hand upon his shoulder before he had the chance to say something he might regret. He had quickly returned to Ken’s side.

‘Is there a problem miss?’ Mustang spoke politely to Alyssa.

She glowered at him.

‘I don’t know what you’ve done to Ken’ she hissed at him, ‘but he hasn’t been the same since he first met you.’

‘Of that I do not doubt’ Mustang spoke smugly.

He then put his arm around Ken’s shoulders, pulling him close and kissing his cheek.

Ken’s heart skipped a beat, his eyes wide with shock as he blinked several times. Alyssa before him was livid with pure rage. She knew Mustang was teasing her, dangling her own boyfriend in front of her like he owned him already.

‘You…’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘You have no right to be around Ken.’

‘Ken can tell me to leave if he wants’ Mustang told her.

‘It’s wrong what you're doing’ Alyssa hissed.

‘Why?’ Mustang asked her.

‘Because my parents tell me.’

Mustang’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance then.

‘I believe…’ he spoke slowly, ‘that you should live your life as you should, not how others want. I believe…that you should live in the moment.’

‘My parents tell me how to behave’ Alyssa told him angrily. ‘I follow their rules…they teach me right from wrong.’

‘Sheep’ Mustang answered simply. ‘Do you always blindly obey what other people tell you?’

‘They are my parents.’

‘And you are a fool.’

Ken’s stomach twinged in nervousness then as he saw Alyssa’s cheeks flush even more, his palms beginning to sweat. Alyssa glared harder than Ken ever thought possible.

For a moment he thought that she might try to drag him away, might try to argue further.

But she just turned on her heel and stormed off without another word.

Ken let out a heavy sigh, finally relaxing slightly.

That was scary… he thought.

Mustang grabbed him by the shoulders roughly then, turning Ken around to face him.

Ken tilted his head back as Mustang kissed him, holding him tightly.

He stared back in shock as Mustang leant away from him again, smiling.

‘I'm sorry’ Mustang whispered, letting go of him. ‘I couldn’t resist….I just…’

Ken’s stomach fluttered then, as Mustang reached forward to touch his face, but drew back suddenly.

‘You know’ Mustang said to him as Ken stared at him in shock, ‘there was a time you would have protested at such a thing.’

‘I….’ Ken spluttered, ‘….I…’

‘You’ve changed’ Mustang said. He cocked his head at Ken, considering him. ‘I like you’ he said. ‘I think you're cute.’

Ken’s cheeks began to flush.

‘Hey!’ Mustang suddenly called, waving to a figure over Ken’s shoulder.

Ken glanced around, seeing another male figure waving back.

‘I should go’ Mustang told him hastily. ‘I want to see you again. Is that ok for you?’

‘Y-yes’ Ken stammered, his mind a blur. ‘I mean….’

‘I’ll see you around’ Mustang smirked at him, pausing.

Ken thought for a moment that he would kiss him again, but Mustang turned away, jogging away from him and towards the other figure.

Ken turned and watched them, seeing Mustang and the other male figure wrap themselves in each other’s arms, kissing passionately, before letting go of each other and walking hand in hand.

Ken faced the other way again, hand going to his mouth as he thought.

He let his hand drop to his side, moving forwards along the street, heading home.

When he got there, his mother was furious.

‘What have you been saying to Alyssa?’

Ken stared at her in shock for a moment, before finding his voice.

‘What? Nothing! Why….?’

‘She says she saw another man kiss you!’ his mother hissed through gritted teeth.

She was furious.

Oh gods… Ken’s heart skipped a beat in his chest. She said that…..?! I'm in trouble……

‘You had better explain yourself’ she snarled, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. ‘You're supposed to marry Alyssa! Why are you wasting time keeping the company of this……disgrace?’

‘Its…it’s not like that….’ Ken fumbled. ‘It was nothing really.’

‘He kissed you!’

‘A peck on the cheek’ Ken said flustered.

His mother’s eyes flashed.

Ken’s heart suddenly felt as if it had turned to stone.

‘You know the type of person he is’ she spoke in a dangerous whisper. ‘I don’t want you seeing him anymore.’

A flicker of anger coursed through him.

Live your life as you should, not how others want. Live in the moment.

Ken shoved his mother away harshly then, something he had never done before.

He could see how shocked she was for it.

‘You should be grateful to him’ he said to her in a raised voice. ‘I would be dead if it wasn’t for him. He is a good person. He saved my life, and I won’t let you control me anymore. This is my life!’

‘Ken wait!’

But he ignored her, running to the front door.

He paused then, glaring back at her as he lingered in the open doorway.

‘Whatever you think of him’ Ken snapped back at his mother, ‘you're wrong. Mustang is a good person.’

And with that he slammed the door, disappearing back into the streets again.