‘Why did you come here?’ Mustang asked him when they had left the club and were out in the street again, walking slowly away and to quieter parts.

‘I wanted to see you’ Ken mumbled uncertainly to his feet. ‘I…thought you might be here.’

‘Well’ Mustang laughed. ‘I’ll try not to be so predictable again.’

‘It was just a guess’ Ken said hastily. ‘You're not predictable.’

Mustang gave him a strange look, eyebrow raised sceptically. ‘Why did you want to see me anyway?’

Ken turned his head away from him.

‘I’ve just got…’ he began uncertainly, ‘worries on my mind…that’s all…’

Mustang stared at him for a moment.

‘I…realised we’ve been meeting up for ages….but I don’t have your number.’

‘You want my number?’ Mustang grinned suddenly amused. ‘I thought you’d never ask!’ he leant towards him then, leaning on his shoulder. ‘You're not falling in love with me are you?’

‘No way!’ Ken snapped loudly back.

‘I think doth protest too much’ Mustang replied quickly.

‘Shut up’ Ken hissed, glaring at him.

‘Alright alright’ Mustang said, waving him away and stepping back to give him space. ‘I'm just teasing.’

They continued to walk.

‘I’ll give you my number’ Mustang said.

‘Fine’ Ken said grudgingly, pulling out his mobile.

Mustang told him his number, and Ken typed it in, saving it in the contacts.

‘So why are you out so late anyway?’ Mustang asked him when Ken had replaced his phone back in his pocket. ‘I thought your family wouldn’t like it. They're so protective of you anyway.’

‘I don’t know’ Ken mumbled staring at the ground as they walked. ‘The truth is I'm starting to have doubts about them. They don’t know what's best for me.’ He faltered then, remembering himself, suddenly shocked at what he had heard himself say. ‘I shouldn’t have said that’ Ken said, alarmed.

Mustang paused for a moment, considering.

‘Do you want to come back to my place and have a drink? We could talk properly and get out of this cold. Or do you want to go home?’

No I can’t go home! Not yet!

‘I’ll go to your place’ Ken murmured. ‘But…only if you don’t tell anyone I was there.’

‘I wouldn’t dream of it’ Mustang smirked.

Ken raised his head, glowering at him.

‘Come on’ Mustang sang, placing his arm around Ken’s shoulders and walking with him.

Seconds later as they made their way along, Mustang still had his arm around Ken, leaning into him uncomfortably. Ken shoved him away indignantly, demanding he be given space.

Mustang only laughed, apologising sheepishly.

*

Mustang’s apartment was on the other side of town; they were able to keep warm by walking briskly, as the cold began to set in. They reached the apartment complex which was situated in a peaceful area and was usually relatively quiet. It was only a small building, but looked cosy.

‘It’s nice’ Ken said glancing up at it.

Mustang watched him, staring at him hard as if trying to read him, trying to decide if Ken was making fun of him, and immediately looking away when Ken turned to face him.

‘It’s this way’ Mustang pointed.

They climbed the stairs to the second floor. Mustang pulled out a key as they reached one of the doors, and Ken waited patiently for him to unlock it.

They stepped into the apartment, Mustang held the door for Ken as he entered, closing it after him.

It was dark inside. All the lights were off.

‘Are your family not here?’ Ken asked him.

‘Um’ Mustang began uncertainly. ‘No.’

He flipped on the lights to the kitchen and went over to the fridge to get some drinks, indicating for Ken to sit at the table. Ken did so, feeling slightly nervous.

I didn’t realise I would be here alone he thought. I assumed his family…

‘So when will your family be back?’ Ken asked him. It was dark in the rest of the apartment.

‘They won’t be back tonight’ Mustang said, avoiding his gaze. ‘We won’t be bothered.’ He hesitated then, reading Ken’s worried expression. ‘Don’t worry’ Mustang said sulkily, returning to the table and placing a canned drink before each of them. ‘I'm not going to do anything to you. Not unless you want me to.’

Ken took his drink nervously, realising from his tone that Mustang was serious.

‘So’ he said avoiding the subject. ‘Where did your family go…………………Mustang?’

Mustang wasn’t looking at him, the can was half-way to his lips and his eyes were distant as he stared at the floor.

‘What's wrong?’

‘I'm sorry’ Mustang said. ‘The truth is…I live here alone……my family live somewhere else.’

‘You live here alone?’

‘Yeah.’ Mustang began to drink deeply.

‘But…why?’ Ken asked, feeling a pang of sadness within him.

Mustang turned to him at last, meeting his gaze, and Ken saw something strange in his eyes.

For the briefest moment, it looked like fear.

Mustang smiled suddenly.

‘Can we not talk about it?’ Mustang asked politely. ‘Please?’

‘Sure’ Ken said bowing his head and bringing the can to his lips. ‘…Sorry’ he mumbled.

*

Ken had a few drinks, and a short while later, he leant forward on the table, head in his hands, trying to fight back tears.

‘I wish I’d never met you!’ Ken snapped at Mustang, though speaking to the table, slurring his words as he did so. ‘You’ve thrown my life into discord! The first time you met me and you kissed me……saving my life and causing me to suffer…horrible flashbacks and night-terrors……and just when I've almost recovered…and don’t get the nightmares again…you show up….and then I see….I see…’ his body began to tremble, he covered his face as tears began to roll down his cheeks. ‘My family don’t think of me the same anymore! Because of you…what have you done to me?! Why am I feeling these things towards you….why?’

Mustang listened in silent shock, one elbow rested upon the table, eyes wide and jaw clenched.

‘I've always been happy….’ Ken said, voice shaking. ‘Until I met you my life was perfect…I've never doubted my family before…until I met you….and I hate you for it……I hate you.’

‘You’ve had too much to drink’ Mustang said sternly, rising and moving around the table to him.

‘Don’t touch me!’ Ken snapped, baring his teeth at Mustang as he moved closer. ‘Do you have any idea how much I wish to be you? You live such a carefree life…nothing holds you back…you don’t even live with your parents…do you know how controlling my parents are? I thought I was happy with them…until I met you…’ he continued to cry. ‘Why…why are you doing this to me? Why did I have to ever meet you?’

‘Is that how you really feel?’ Mustang spoke seriously, standing over him. ‘That you want to be me?’

‘Yes…’ Ken whispered into his hands, ‘yes.’

‘Trust me’ Mustang said angrily. ‘You don’t want my life.’

‘But I do…I never realised how trapped I felt until I met you.’

‘Maybe it’s a good thing that you did then’ Mustang said.

Ken raised his head, eyes red and teary.

Mustang took both his wrists, holding firmly as he leant forwards. He kissed him, Ken felt Mustang’s lips upon his.

It took him several seconds to register.

‘No’ he said, pushing him away, and then he stumbled from his chair, falling to the floor.

Mustang went to grab him again, but Ken pushed him away.

‘Don’t touch me’ he whispered to him. ‘Don’t…’

‘You're not used to drinking are you’ Mustang said, though it was not a question.

Mustang ignored Ken’s feeble protests as he knelt before him, lifting him in his arms and carrying him through the apartment.

He took him to a spare room, laying him down on the bed, where Ken then became still, breathing slowly and deeply, cheeks flushed.

‘I think you should stay here’ Mustang told him, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching him with a frown upon his face. ‘You can’t go home like this.’

Ken barely seemed to hear him, he only groaned, shifting on the bed before becoming still again.

Mustang watched him silently. His gaze travelled down Ken’s body, to his chest and lower as he lay on the bed, and certain thought began to cross his mind as he stared.

Mustang clenched his jaw, turning his head sharply away then before rising and storming from the room. He closed the door and went to his own bed, leaving Ken alone.

The apartment became silent again.

*

The next morning, Ken woke with the rising sun.

He groaned as he sat up in the unfamiliar bed, gazing about him and blinking in confusion.

He didn’t know where he was at first, and it took several seconds for the memories of the night before to slowly come back to him.

A frown slowly crossed his expression, a frown which turned to a look of alarm.

I've been out all night! He realised, leaping from the bed and stumbling suddenly, body hunched over as he felt suddenly dizzy. What are my parents going to think? He worried, straightening up again and marching to the door. How could I do this to them? They must be so worried…

He felt terrible, sick and dizzy and mouth dry and stale tasting. He wandered through the apartment, looking for the front door. When he found it, he hesitated, calling out for Mustang.

When there was no answer, he simply left, worrying for his family, he headed home as fast as he could.

*

‘Where were you?! I cannot believe you did this to us! We had to call the police!’

‘I'm sorry’ Ken stammered as his mother bared her teeth at him, positively livid with rage. ‘It was an accident…I didn’t mean to stay out all night.’

‘Have you been drinking?’ his mother asked, sniffing the air around him. ‘You smell like a bar.’

‘Yes.’ Ken answered shortly. He may as well come clean now. It’s not as if he could hide it.

‘You’ve never done such a thing before’ his mother shouted at him. ‘How could you?!’

‘I…I don’t know’ Ken mumbled staring at the floor.

‘It’s most unlike you’ his father spoke quietly stepping forwards. ‘Why are you acting this way lately?’

It was his father’s gentle voice that hurt him most of all, and his throat suddenly tightened.

‘I'm sorry’ Ken whispered, fighting back tears. ‘I…I don’t know….’

‘It’s that boy isn’t it’ his brother said. ‘The one called Mustang was it?’

‘Him again?’ his mother snapped, her anger reignited. ‘I don’t want you seeing him again. He’s a bad influence. Don’t you see what he’s doing to you?’

Ken raised his head to his mother, eyes shimmering.

‘You have a good life’ his mother spoke softly now, placing her hands upon his shoulders. ‘Why are you trying to destroy it?’

‘I'm not…’ Ken sobbed. ‘I mean…I didn’t…’

His mother embraced him then, holding him tight.

‘I'm just glad you're alright’ his mother sighed. ‘I was so scared…never do that to us again.’

‘I promise’ Ken mumbled, ‘and I'm sorry…’

His sister padded across the room towards him, hugging him tightly and burying her face in his chest.

‘Please don’t do that again brother’ she said to him. ‘We were so worried.’

‘I won’t’ he said to her. ‘I won’t...’

*

Later that day, Ken sat alone on the edge of the town where the trees grew tall and the grass was green. A shallow river ran past his feet. Ken now sat on the bank, head buried in his arms as he hugged his knees to his chest.

He lifted his head, staring at the water as he remembered the previous night a little clearer now.

It had at first all been a blur to him, but now he was slowly remembering.

He kissed me Ken realised, hand going to his mouth. He kissed me……again…

His expression turned into a glower.

‘Mustang…’

*

Weeks passed, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened since Ken stayed out all night. His life was back to normal, like it was before he knew Mustang, almost.

‘Why are you ignoring me?’ Mustang glowered at him sullenly.

Ken gritted his teeth, glaring back.

‘I'm busy’ Ken shot back.

‘You’ve been ignoring my texts’ Mustang told him.

‘I told you I've been busy.’

Mustang shrugged. ‘It doesn’t take long to send a text’ Mustang said showing his hands. ‘You don’t want to talk to me anymore do you.’

It wasn’t phrased as a question.

Ken turned his back on him.

‘I've just…’ Ken said through gritted teeth, ‘got a lot going on in my life right now.’

‘I don’t want to cause you any problem’ Mustang said.

‘It’s too late for that.’

Mustang narrowed his eyes. ‘This isn’t because I kissed you is it?’

Ken tensed suddenly.

‘That’s it isn’t it?’

‘Look just leave me alone’ Ken said storming away.

Mustang called after him, but Ken ignored him, striding quickly as fast as he could in the opposite direction, pulling out his mobile as he went.

Ken scrolled down the list of names in the phone book, coming to Mustang’s name and number.

He deleted the contact, sighing with satisfaction as he returned the mobile to his pocket.

He suddenly felt lighter for it.