The door to the apartment he thought he'd gotten away from opened and Kato was pushed inside, tripping and falling to his knees. Quickly, he turned around to see Roger slamming the door shut, his face bright red with anger.

"You little shit!" He stomped forward and grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking him so he had to grab his wrist to keep himself from falling. "Trying to run away? How dare you!"

"I'm sorry..." He sobbed, shaking. He'd never seen him this angry. He wondered if he'd even survive the night. He thought he might've been able to get away if it weren't for the police officer that had grabbed him.

"Like hell you're-!" He stopped, looking at him as though realizing something. "You... You're pretty..." A smirk slowly spread across his lips and it dripped with menace. "I've got the perfect punishment for you. Come with me you little shit." He dragged him by his arms into the bedroom and threw him onto the bed.

"R-Roger! Please!" He sobbed, backing away and into the wall. "I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" Fear circulated through him like electricity and he could barely see Roger climbing on the bed through his tears.

"Get over here and open your mouth." He growled and he shook his head, pressing himself further into the wall. "Get over here damn it!" He reached over and gripped his wrist, tugging him forward with a yelp. What happened after that was all a blur. He remembered being unable to breathe, his throat hurting and his jaw feeling like it was being torn apart. He was left with a foul and sickly taste in his mouth and a pain he could never forget.

A knock sounded at the door of the bathroom and Kato jumped slightly, returning to the present and away from the memories he now shook in fear of. "Hey, Kato, you alright? You've been in there forever." Seth asked, trying to sound cool but he could hear he was worried.

Clearing his throat and rubbing away tears he didn't know had fallen, he shifted. "I-I'm fine. Sorry. I-I'll be out in a moment."

"You aren't going suicidal are you?" He asked, a hint of sarcasm lining his tone.

"No." He said, slightly shocked. He'd never once thought of doing something like that.

"Then what are you doing?" Seth teased.

He thought about lying but he was too tired to think of something. "Sitting on the floor... thinking."

"Can I come in and join you then?" He asked and Kato debated on this for a moment before getting up slightly only to unlock the door and sit back down again. "Thank you." He opened the door and peered inside until he spotted him and smirked. "You should've added crying to the list."

He sighed and hugged his knees to his chest while Seth sat down and stretched out beside him. "Sorry... for over-reacting." He muttered, feeling kind of guilty about his sudden outburst.

"Not your fault. It was mine for being a bit too bold." He laughed. "But, you know, you're the first human or demon that I couldn't read. It's like your mind is special. I can't control it, either." He turned. "That's a first. And it seems you're immune to my charm."

He raised an eyebrow. "Um... That means you've tried to do so." He didn't know how he felt about that.

"Yeah, sorry." He laughed again. "Back at the man's apartment, when he was saying something about three years ago, I could read his mind. I know both what happened and what he wanted to do." He eyed him carefully and Kato's eyes went wide. "That must've been rough."

He stiffened and turned away. "Stop. I don't want to hear about it."

"Listen to me. What he did was awful and I know you've been scarred, but don't let it rule you." He felt his arm being draped over Kato's shoulder. "Besides, I won't ever let that happen to you again. Do you believe me?"

"Please stop." He moved away, wiping away new tears but he only held on tighter and moved him so his head was leaning against his shoulder.

"I can't leave that alone. I don't just want to be your advisor and your protector. I want to get to know you and help you."

"Liar." He muttered, trying once again to move away. No one would want to do such a thing to someone like him.

"I'm not lying." He gently gripped his chin and turned his head so their eyes met. Seth's face was completely serious and it took him by surprise. "I know you've been broken so can you at least give me a chance to fix you?" He'd dropped his cool act and actually seemed to be speaking the truth.

"Why should I believe you?" He whispered. "Why should I believe someone actually cares?" His voice slowly rose and he knew he was getting angry. Once again, he tried pushing away, harder this time. "I'm worthless, you hear me? I may have the blood of the Demon King or whatever but that doesn't make me fit for freakin' royalty! I'm weak, mentally and physically! So why?" He lowered his eyes, his body going limp when he realized it was useless. He hid his face in Seth's chest. "Why are you trying to help me?" Wait, that wasn't what he was going to ask. He was only trying to ask why he should believe him, yet it slipped out anyway. Maybe it was because he did believe him when he said that or maybe it was because what he said made him... happy.

Sighing, Seth held him close and put his chin on his head. "I'm not a very sentimental demon but I do understand human emotions. We may not seem like we do but we have them. I know what it feels like to be filled with sorrow and loss and anger and frustration. I've lost many friends to wars that shouldn't have been fought. You're not worthless. Far from that. Sure, you may not be fit now, but I'll help you. I'll teach you what you need to know. But you have to let me, Kato."

"I..." He shifted and looked up at him, searching his eyes for any traces of lying or jokes. But none came to light. So he pressed his lips together and nodded. "F-fine. I'll... let you..." He muttered, his face tinting slightly in pink.

"Oh?" He leaned forward, a grin spreading across his face. "That's great! Now I can go back to being myself." He chuckled mischievously. "I'm not usually like this to people but you're just so luring." He leaned forward and, confused, Kato leaned backward until he was pressed into the ground.

"That doesn't mean I'll let you touch me, pervert," Kato muttered, glaring and pushing him off.

"How cruel!" He laughed and sat up.

A smile crept onto his face and he scooted out from under him. "Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes and they laughed for a while, his heart lightening.

"By the way, those beds are just asking to be used and I didn't go to all that trouble of getting money so they'd be left untouched." Seth smiled, his eyes narrowing and his tail swishing. It was like he forgot the most important things. One, that he had a tail and horns, and two, that they were in a motel.

"Oh. Right." He paused. "Wait, you said you don't sleep right?" He thought he remembered something like that being said.

He nodded, his smirk deepening.

"Alright. Well, I do. So swear to me you won't do anything while I'm sleeping!" Kato said, pinning him with a stern look. He had a feeling he would with the way Seth was looking at him.

Seth rolled his eyes and held up his hands while standing. "I swear I won't do anything to you in your sleep."

"Good." He muttered, standing and nodding as though satisfied. He was tired and just wanted to fall asleep, he didn't care where. So, he followed Seth out into the room and laid on the bed he was assigned, crawling under the covers and gathering body heat.

The lights were turned off and he snuggled into the sheets. He couldn't remember the last time he slept in such a fluffy and comfortable bed. For the last five years, he'd been sleeping on the rotting couch in the living room of the alcohol-smelling apartment.

"Goodnight." He heard Seth say on the opposite bed.

"Goodnight." Kato managed to mutter back while his eyes closed and he curled up.

"Pleasant dreams." He heard him say but it was a bit muffled so he wasn't sure if he'd said it at all. The next thing he knew, he was in a deep, dreamless sleep, free from worry, and free from Roger.