Wylan never expected to be trapped in a wine shop with his friends for two days straight. Why did it have to be a wine shop? He was pretty sure all of his friends were half-drunk at all times anyway.

Kaz was currently the only one that was fully sober, other than Wylan. Although, Jesper did seem to have a high alcohol tolerance, as he was acting on edge and angry.

Wylan leaned his head back on the booth and sighed, desperately wishing for his soft bed.

"Are you kidding me?" Jesper suddenly shouted. "Are you serious?"

Kaz frowned at Wylan and mouthed, Deal with your boyfriend.

He isn't my problem right now, Wylan responded. He hadn't had a good meal in days and he was starving.

"Wylan!"

Wylan gazed blearily up at the boy. "Yes?"

"Why don't you drag your useless, illiterate, wallowing, pitiful self over here and do something good for the world?"

Wylan flinched, Jesper's harsh words cutting deep. He was suddenly back in his room at the Van Eck mansion, his father in front of him.

He got the words wrong. He didn't understand them. And his father hated it. Wylan vividly remembered the feeling of his father's cold hand lashing his cheeks, occasionally leaving small bruises in their wake.

Wylan remembered whimpering under the covers of his bed, tears staining his stinging cheeks, wishing that his father would just accept him. Wylan remembered hiding in his closet, hidden among his clothes, avoiding the next beating.

*****

Kaz was out of his seat before anybody could stop him. "What did you just say to him?" He snarled at Jesper.

The dark-skinned boy's lips pulled back in a sickening smile. It made that ball of fiery anger in Kaz's stomach intensify. "I told him to get over here."

"Useless? Illiterate? Wallowing? Pitiful?" Kaz was trying to control himself from getting too angry, but he was failing.

Nobody insults Wylan and gets away with it.

Kaz's cane was light in his hands. He was ready to bash Jesper's white teeth down his throat.

Jesper nodded again. "Isn't it true, Kaz? Before the heist, you would have agreed with me."

Kaz took another step forward. "Well, the heist has long since passed. You promised me that you would protect him, that you would make him feel loved."

With a glance at Wylan, Kaz almost wanted to cry.

The boy was curled into the corner of the booth, his shirt pulled up over his mouth, his thumb tracing an unseen scar. His eyes were wet, his freckled cheeks red.

Kaz turned back to Jesper. He would speak to Wylan when he was done with Jesper.

Ten minutes later, Jesper limped into the other room, his dark skin stained with crimson blood. Kaz slid into the booth beside Wylan. Instead of simply telling the boy it would be alright, Kaz did something that he knew would comfort the boy.

He wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close.

Wylan buried his face in Kaz's shoulder and Kaz immediately felt the wetness through his jacket.

"I-I... I don't... kn-kn-know why he-he would... s-s-say that..."

Kaz gently patted the boy's back. "I know, Wy."

He whimpered again and tried to speak, but Kaz gently quieted him with a soft hum.

When Wylan regained the ability to speak, he murmured, "Why would he say that?"

Kaz pulled off a glove and hesitantly started to run his bare hand through Wylan's russet hair.

"I don't know, Wylan. Maybe because we've been trapped in this place for days together and he's probably drunk?"

Wylan shook more intensely and Kaz immediately regretted what he said.

"Wy, I don't mean that. Please, can you calm down?"

Wylan curled closer to Kaz, his breathing slowing down as he took deep breaths.

"Better."

Wylan glanced up at Kaz, his sapphire eyes reflecting his betrayal, his sorrow. "Will you... will you stay here with me?"

Kaz scooted into the corner of the booth and nodded. "Yes, I'll stay with you."

They laid in silence for a while, Wylan sniffling into Kaz's shoulder, the latter humming quietly.

Finally, Kaz murmured, "Did Jesper make you think of your father?"

Wylan was silent for a moment. He shifted on top of Kaz, resting closer to him, his sapphire eyes downcast. "Yes."

"I never asked but... what did your father do to you?"

Wylan's curls brushed Kaz's cheek and the black-haired boy was worried for a moment that he'd upset the boy again.

"He would hit me. Lock me in my room. Somedays, he wouldn't feed me. He would take away everything that made me happy. He stopped talking to me unless it was to scream in my face or tell me all of my mistakes. I would hide from him."

Kaz felt an overwhelming feeling of pity for the boy. Not only had his father outcasted him and sent his mother away, but Jesper had just done the same thing.

"I didn't realize... I'm so sorry, Wy."

Wylan wrapped his arms around Kaz's neck. "Don't apologize for something you couldn't control."

Kaz closed his eyes. "I broke Jesper's nose for you."

"Oh?" Wylan said with a yawn. "I suppose I should say thank you."

"Tired?" Kaz asked quietly.

Wylan shifted again, letting out a "Mphhrma," which Kaz translated as, "Yes."

"Go to sleep," Kaz told him, holding him close. "I'll stay here with you."

Wylan nodded, snuggling closer to him. When his breathing deepened, Kaz allowed himself to relax, a bare hand still tangled in Wylan's fiery hair.

*****

"WE FOUND A WAY OUT!"

The scream made Kaz jerk awake, nearly throwing Wylan under the table. He clutched the boy and glared at Nina.

"Why are you yelling?"

Nina shrugged. "We can get out. Or... Inej and Wylan can."

"What do you mean?"

"The gap is really small so... yeah me, you, and Jesper are stuck here. Together."

Wylan, whose face was bright red, went to sit up, but Kaz pulled him back against him. "I'm staying here."

Nina sighed. "Then I suppose we'll all be waiting until we can get out."

****

Another two hours passed and nobody moved. Everybody was exhausted, especially Kaz.

His fist still hurt from the extremely hard punch Jesper had received.

"Kaz," the boy said as Kaz entered the room. "Kaz, look, I never-"

Kaz slammed his fist into the boy's teeth. "What's wrong with you?"

Jesper put a hand over his mouth. "Nothing is wrong with me, Kaz."

Kaz punched him as hard as he could. His knuckles hurt. "Why would you say that to Wylan, the boy who took you in, gave you money, protected you? He loves you, Jes, and you threw that away."

Jesper wiped the blood from his face. "I love Wylan. But is there something wrong with telling him the truth?"

"What, like that you think he's worthless?"

Jesper narrowed his eyes. "I didn't mean that."

Kaz rolled his eyes, anger driving him on. "You think that that didn't bother him? That Wylan brushed it off? No, he didn't, because he loves you more than anything."

Jesper frowned. "Kaz, I'm sorry."

"You promised me that you would take care of him. That you wouldn't let anybody hurt him. You broke your promise to me. You are hereby removed from your duties as part of the Dregs. For now, Wylan will stay at the Slat with me. He will not return to his house until I allow it."

****

After the incident with Nina's screams, they did find a way out.

Jesper stumbled back to the Van Eck mansion with Inej behind him. Nina was heading towards a waffle house.

Kaz walked with Wylan, gripping the scrawny boy's elbow as if the winds would carry him away.

"Why are you making me stay at the Slat?" The boy whispered.

Kaz tugged him closer. "I don't trust Jesper being in the same house as you right now."

"What did you do to him?"

Kaz waited a moment before he responded. "I fired him."

"Oh."

They eventually made it to the Slat, but Kaz ignored Anika and Pim as they tried to pester him about opposing gangs.

Kaz took Wylan to his room on the top floor.

"Where can I stay?" Wylan asked quietly. Kaz felt kind of bad; the boy looked out of place in a gang hideout.

Kaz gestured to the bed. "The bed. Or wherever. This room is ours for the time being."

He watched as the redhead curled up within his thick blankets. Kaz then slowly reached out and brushed the hair out of the boy's face. "Don't think about Jesper."

Wylan closed his eyes. "I'm trying not to."

"Would you like me to tell you a story?"

Wylan nodded. "A nice one, please?"

Kaz sat on the edge of the bed. Wylan rested his head in Kaz's lap and Kaz was almost intimidated by the boy's ice-blue gaze.

"I'm not good with stories but... once there were two brothers. They moved to an island city in pursuit of a great future. Things didn't go as planned for the brothers and eventually one of them had to move on. But the one that remained grew up to be successful. He met a young girl who was so beautiful. They loved each other so much. And he met a young boy, whom he took in as a son. They had many friends and they all lived together happily."

"Is that the end?" Wylan asked with a small smile.

Kaz shrugged. "If you want a happy story... that could be the end."

Wylan frowned. "Oh... okay?"

Kaz grinned at the boy and laid on his back, finally able to relax after being locked in a store for days.

****

Wylan went with Kaz to the Crow Club but decided to stay sitting at the bar while Kaz went to deal with an issue.

"Hey, Wylan."

Wylan didn't look at the boy. He didn't want to see him.

Two hands were suddenly on his back, massaging his shoulders. Hot breath coated Wylan's cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Wy. I just want you to come home. I miss you."

Wylan tried to slip from the boy's grasp but Jesper held tight.

"Do you miss me or do you miss what I give you?"

Jesper's hands trailed down and slid under the edges of his shirt. Wylan shivered and tried to pull away, but Jesper gripped his legs.

"Come home with me. You would much prefer what I can do over what Kaz can do."

"Kaz doesn't insult me," Wylan hissed, trying to pull away again.

Jesper suddenly picked him up and pressed him against the bar. He didn't want this. He didn't want Jesper to be this way.

Jesper pressed against Wylan and forced his chin up. Wylan felt hot tears in his eyes as Jesper leaned down to kiss Wylan's jaw.

"Please stop," Wylan whimpered, trying not to seem weak. It didn't work.

"You know that I won't hurt you, Darling."

Tears dripped down Wylan's cheeks and he tried to pull away yet again.

Jesper grinned at him. "Trying to sneak off before the fun starts?"

"Fahey!"

Wylan felt overwhelming relief at the fact that Kaz had arrived. He slipped away from Jesper and raced to the boy's side. Without waiting for Kaz to tell him to go back to their room, he collapsed into the boy's arms with another whimper.

Kaz's voice was like hot coals as he said, "Jesper Fahey. Touch Wylan Van Eck again and I'll personally kill you. Now get out."

Jesper glared at Kaz but quickly left the building. Kaz didn't speak to Wylan until they were back in their room.

"Why didn't you call for me?" Kaz hissed, angrier at himself than at Wylan.

Wylan wiped at his tears. "I... I don't know."

Kaz hugged the boy to him. "I thought... I thought that he was hurting you. I was worried, Wy."

Wylan wrapped his arms around the boy. "He was going to force me back to the mansion, Kaz."

Kaz rested his head on top of Wylan's. "If he touches you again, I'll kill him."

Wylan sniffled. "Can we just go to bed, Kaz?"

Kaz nodded. "Yes, Wylan. Let's go to bed."