Ken left the open fields beyond the town, and returned to Mustang’s apartment when it began to grow dark.

He stood before the apartment complex, gazing up at the door, one of several lined up on the second level. Mustang’s apartment.

…and now my home Ken thought glumly.

He bowed his head, trudging forwards wearily and up the stairs.

He came to the second level, walking down the path below the flickering lights. He paused before the correct door and opened it.

It was dark inside the apartment. Ken glanced to the side, seeing Mustang lying back against the sofa with his leg over the back.

He turned his head slowly towards Ken, who stood in the doorway watching him. Mustang lay there shirtless; his lean and muscular chest was bare. It was a hot evening, and the air felt humid.

Ken saw on the floor beside Mustang several empty bottles. His attention flickered back to Mustang. Ken was about to speak, when another figure entered the room.

Ken immediately recognised the figures as the one he had seen earlier that day, the one that had called Mustang to him.

‘Hey’ Roy said, sucking on a cigarette. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘He lives here’ Mustang slurred, swinging his head.

‘Does he want to join in?’ Roy asked.

‘Nah’ Mustang said, ‘…he’s not into that sort of thing.’

‘Hm’ Roy said. ‘That’s a shame.’

Ken closed the door behind him, glaring at Mustang. ‘Have you no self respect?’

‘Clearly I don’t’ Mustang grumbled, turning away.

It seemed they had quickly forgotten about Ken then, as Roy knelt on the sofa, leaning over Mustang.

Ken turned his head away, dropping his bag by the front door and marching away as the couple began to kiss.

He went to the room that was now his, closing the door behind him and lying down on the bed.

It was dark in the room, and Ken sat there quietly, resting his head on his folded arm, listening to the noises coming from beyond the door.

He fell asleep shortly after.

*

He didn’t know how much time has passed until he was woken again. Ken jerked as he woke abruptly, turning on his back to see Mustang leaning over him, shirtless, but thankfully with the rest of it still on.

‘Shhh’ Mustang placed his fingers over Ken’s mouth as he drew a breath to talk. ‘It’s alright. He’s gone now.’

‘You reek of sweat’ Ken hissed, grabbing his shoulder to push him again, but Mustang’s hand curled around his wrist to stop him.

‘It was hot’ he smirked, ‘really hot.’

‘Don’t touch me’ Ken snapped, raising his voice.

‘But I want you’ Mustang drooled, grabbing Ken’s other wrist and leaning closer to him, bearing over him.

Ken who had been trying to sit up, slumped back down onto the bed, glaring at him.

‘I want you’ Mustang moaned at him, tightening his hold on him, nails digging in. ‘…I want you…’

‘You're drunk’ Ken told him shortly.

‘And you're handsome….’

Ken tensed suddenly, balling his fists as Mustang placed his lips over his mouth. He turned his head away, breaking away and drawing a deep breath of air.

‘Don’t…’ Ken shuddered. ‘Don’t touch me.’

Mustang remained where he was frozen, leaning over Ken, still holding him by the wrists, but his grip had loosened.

Ken turned to face him now. ‘Get off me’ he ordered Mustang. ‘Now.’

Mustang hesitated, before obeying, leaning back and crawling away from Ken. He sat on the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees.

‘I know I'm drunk’ Mustang slurred, ‘but I won’t do anything to you……not if you don’t want me to…’ he turned back to face Ken then. ‘I really do love you.’

‘How can you say that when you don’t even know me’ Ken glowered. ‘You shouldn’t say such things lightly. Love is not something to be passed around so casually.’

Mustang stared at him blankly, slowly processing Ken’s words with his slowed mind. He smiled then.

‘Those are wise words.’ Mustang sighed wearily. ‘I like you coz you're different. You really care about your life, you're so…sophisticated, so proper……not like me.’

‘But you chose to be wild’ Ken reasoned, speaking calmly now. At first he had felt a little nervous when he had first seen Mustang in his room, now he was relaxed, knowing that Mustang had control over himself. ‘You could be proper if you wanted. I don’t think its right for you to flaunt yourself around. Don’t you have any self respect? How can you just give yourself to so many people?’

‘Why?’ Mustang smirked, turning back to face him. ‘Are you jealous?’

‘I'm being serious’ Ken said sternly. ‘If you went to college on a regular basis, and actually did something with your life…’

‘What do you want to do in the future?’ Mustang interrupted.

‘Me?’ Ken was caught suddenly off-guard. ‘I…’

‘Come on’ Mustang prompted playfully. ‘Tell me. You’ve never told me before what you wanted to do when you leave college. Are you going to go to university?’

Ken sat up against the headboard, hugging his knees to his chest

‘I….I’ve always wanted to be a graphics designer’ he admitted. But…my family had other plans for me. They wanted me to work for the church.’ Ken smirked then. ‘Maybe this is a good thing…me being here…I was devastated when they kicked me out…but maybe…in the long run……it’s for the best. I've never realised how overpowering and controlling they were until I stood up for myself.’

‘You think it’s a good thing being in my bed?’ Mustang smirked, having only caught part of what Ken had just said.

‘I'm sad they're gone from my life’ Ken continued, choosing to ignore Mustang’s comment. ‘But I think that in time…I won’t miss them anymore.’ Ken smiled. ‘I’ll miss my siblings…but they’ll be alright without me.’ He looked up at Mustang then, who was leaning back on his hand. ‘I've never told anyone before what I wanted to do once I left college…you're the only one.’

Mustang turned very slowly to face him, a sly smile spreading over his face as he watched Ken silently.

‘What do you want to do in the future?’

Mustang just stared at him.

‘Mustang?’

‘I don’t have a future.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I just…’ Mustang paused then, biting his lip as he thought. ‘I live only for the now.’

‘Yeah’ Ken said flatly. ‘I can tell.’ Ken sighed. ‘You know, you could be a better person if you tried, if you had some self respect and didn’t act like an animal.’

‘You think I act like an animal?’ Mustang repeated, sounding genuinely concerned, as if he hadn't realised it before.

‘You don’t care about yourself’ Ken pressed. ‘You're cheap. Doing those things to who knows how many people. Can you even count all the people you’ve been with on your hands?’

Mustang frowned. He didn’t look at Ken, but Ken could tell that he was really thinking about this, and taking his words seriously.

‘No one’s ever been so honest with me’ Mustang mumbled after a time, ‘they just…’ he trailed off, before raising his head again. ‘Do you care about me?’

‘What?’

‘Do you care about me?’

‘I…’ Ken began, ‘…I guess I do.’

Mustang stared at him. Tears began to prickle in his eyes.

Ken blinked, staring back in shock at this.

‘I'm sorry’ Mustang huffed, turning away sharply, grinding his teeth. ‘It’s the drink.’ He went quiet for a moment. ‘I have sex with a lot of men’ he said casually, ‘but I don’t love any of them, and none of them love me.’ He turned back to Ken then, eyes clear. ‘You're different. I meant it when I said before that I loved you…I do…even more so now that…’ he clenched his teeth. ‘I will make you say that you love me’ Mustang told him. ‘You're so interesting. You are like a puzzle to me…’

‘You can’t make someone love you.’

‘I know’ Mustang said. ‘But feelings can change.’ He rose from the bed then, moving away and towards the door. He paused, glancing back. ‘Sorry to have woken you’ he said to him quietly. ‘I’ll leave you alone now.’

He went away, closing the door after him.

Ken stared at the closed door for several seconds, before lying back on the bed.

He couldn’t sleep properly for the rest of that night, and in the room opposite his, Mustang tossed and turned.