Akito looked at him with a stupid smile, putting the cigarette between his lips for one more time. Akito was all muscles and barely fat, even if he was a man in his thirties. He was working out a lot and barely had regular meals. When he didn't have to protect Damon and was free, he usually smoked or drank coffee. It was a miracle how his heart was still beating after so much tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol.

Akito was always taller and more muscular than Damon; anyone could see it. He was always so close to the Hopkins, but no one ever dared to question why.

"Which night, boss?"

"The night that you raped me."

Akito laughed before finishing his cigarette unamused. He licked his bottom lip and grinned while turning his chin towards Damon, with his hands in the pockets of his dark blue jeans. Damon tried to appear confident in his words even if he was slowly dying inside. He was waiting for him to say that he was wrong, that it was a common misunderstanding, and that he never touched him.

"I never touched you, Damon. So I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play with me, Akito! That night when my mother was asleep and Deetra.... - "

"I still can't recall about what you're saying, boss.

"Then let me refresh your memory, cunt."

- February 2007 -

As usual, it was a cold night; Damon's eyes lit up as he saw the ground getting covered with snow slowly. Damon loved snow; it was the only thing he loved about winter. That and warm sweaters as the weather was perfect for them. He leaned against the window in his mother's bedroom, looking outside, lost. He hoped that he would wake up with an entirely snow-covered yard; maybe schools would be closed for that day. Deetra hated the snow as it was destroying her delicate flowers in the garden. The gardener was tired of hearing Deetra crying and yelling like a baby, wanting him to plant more and more flowers every week, most of them ending up getting destroyed because of the chilly weather. Damon didn't care for his sister's plants or the gardener, who was clearly angry with the spoiled brat's attitude. He sighed softly, turning his head to his right, looking down on the reddish carpet.

"It's snowing, mom."

"That's amazing, sweetheart...."

Selena had started looking worse as the seasons were going by. Damon never understood why she didn't accept the chemotherapies and just waited for her death. She was spending more time in her bedroom now, mostly sleeping. The drowsiness wasn't leaving her to spend any time with her kids, along with those terrible headaches. The painkillers were barely working anymore; she had to take almost five pills every day to make it through the day. Selena was skipping most of her meals, Damon begged her to eat, but she couldn't. He couldn't understand why until he found out it was because of cancer.

Damon jumped off the armchair in front of the window and sat by his mother's side. His hands were on his thighs, his nails were clearly bitten. He almost fell off the bed when he felt his mom's hand on his.

"Why aren't you excited, my darling? I thought you loved snow."

"Well, it's not the same now that you spend all your day in the bed...."

Selena coughed softly; she sighed and tried to get up but failed miserably. She just leaned against the bed frame with all her strength. Damon was close to crying; his mother was one of the people he wasn't afraid to show off his sensitivity. Everyone was waiting for a fifteen years old boy to appear strong, but he couldn't. So, he was hiding behind this façade when he was around all these rich old men.

"Damon, my dear, you can open up to your mother; what is burdening you?"

"I am scared."

"Of what?"

"Of you dying!"

He brought his palms to his eyes to hide his tears; he felt like a small unprotected kid. Damon didn't want to be left alone; the thought of being in an empty house alone for the rest of his life was terrifying. He would be good as long as Deetra was around, though. Damon lost his father; he couldn't lose his mother, too. His soul was too young to handle all these hits from life.

Selena rubbed his son's cheek with her thumb, and with a soft smile, she managed to pull him in her arms with difficulty. Damon was visiting his mother every day, multi times, for severe and idiotic things. He wanted to be around her as much as he could, fearing that he'll lose her.

On the other hand, Deetra was barely going to her mom's bedroom. She didn't dare to face her; she preferred to have this beautiful and healthy woman in her mind than the weak and dying version of her. Damon was finding it ridiculous, but his sister was insisting. Selena never pushed her daughter to do something she didn't want to. She respected her decision even if she was dying to see her cute smile and face. She knew that when the time was right, Deetra would go and visit her.

"I am not dying, Damon, I am fine -"

"Don't lie to me, mom! You can sell these lies to Deetra but not to me!"

Damon could see her pale skin and black circles. Her usual light blue eyes seemed darker as the days went by, and her lips were drier than normal. Of course, Deetra wouldn't see these small details, but Damon knew each and every one of them like the back of his hand.

Damon continued crying; Selena's heart was cracking a bit more every time she faced her son with tears down his cheeks. She knew that Damon wasn't only afraid of her death but also of taking over the whole business. Damon didn't want this; he hated this so-called business; he didn't want to be like his father. He was a young boy with dreams, and everything would collapse sooner or later.

"My darling, don't cry... Everything will turn out okay."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

Damon smiled for a split second; his mother always kept her promises. Then, he pulled away and wiped his tears in an attempt to show his non-existed emotional strength.

"You should go to bed, Damon, it's getting late, and you have school tomorrow."

"But it's snowing! Maybe I'll be lucky enough to stay home... I hate school."

"I know, darling, but please try your best...."

Damon nodded before kissing his mother's cheek; her skin felt dry, almost ready to fall apart. Selena messed with her son's hair with a soft smile before mumbling "Good night" with difficulty. Damon walked towards the door and opened it before taking a last look at his mother.

"Good night, mom."

He closed the door behind him and started going to his room. The hallways were dark, but he didn't mind it. He stayed for a bit outside his sister's room; Damon could hear the gramophone playing. The boy knocked on the door, but he didn't receive an answer back. He decided to open the door, soon facing his sister asleep with her head against her office. Damon laughed; he grabbed Deetra's shoulder and shook it gently, not wanting to scare her.

Deetra was the "nerd" in the twins. She was always studying, wanting to be at the top of her class. When she had free time, you would find her among the roses in the garden, lying on the grass, reading some classic literature. She was good in every subject, and she had won first place in three school competitions. Deetra had clearly a bright future in front of her, unlike Damon.

Damon could barely focus on a book or study with the hours. He was failing almost every class, but he didn't care. His future was doomed; he would be trapped in this mansion forever. Oh, how he wished Deetra was in his shoes, even for a day, so he could enjoy her life and accomplishments.

"Deetra, wake up...."

"Hm...?"

Deetra opened her eyes, looking at her brother and then at the book in front of her. Maths was always so exhausting and challenging for her, so she studied for it in the end.

"You fell asleep, again...."

She groaned before standing up, taking a few steps, and falling on the bed already half asleep. Damon giggled, ready to leave.

"How's mom?"

Her question froze him in his position; Deetra was barely asking about her mother. Damon sighed, not knowing what to say.

"She's getting... worse."

"I imagined that...."

"Will you go to see her tomorrow?"

"I don't know."

Damon opened the door and stepped outside, sad. How much he wished his sister would go to their mom already.

"Oh, Damon...!"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for waking me up; the last time I fell asleep on the chair, I woke up with back pain!"

Deetra laughed as Damon rolled his eyes before whispering, "you're welcome".

"Good night, Damon."

"Good night, sister."

Damon closed the door and headed to his room; the lights were still turned off. He walked in before pushing his palm against the door to close it. His fingers moved to the light switch, but he never turned on the lights as a voice made him jump back in fear.

"Hey, Damon!"

"Akito! You scared me!"

Damon breathed in heavily. Akito was sitting on his bed with a smile, leaning down with his arms on his knees. He laughed before patting the space beside him.

"I am sorry, I didn't have such intention! Come sit with me!"

Damon ignored the lights and sat beside his friend; Akito was one of the few bodyguards he liked and enjoyed their company. Plus, he was the youngest among them, so he was easier to get along with. He considered him his best friend; they were that close. Akito was around when Jason disappeared, and he felt so bad for the twins. He started spending more time with them, of course, most with Damon as Deetra was mainly locked in her room.

"How's Selena, Damon?"

"She doesn't look really good, to be honest...."

"Oh...."

Akito looked down, moving his thumbs around while Damon turned his head to look outside to see the snow for one more time. He jumped again, slighter as he felt a hand on his thigh. That hand belonged to Akito.

"Um...."

"Have you ever masturbated, Damon?"

He had started rubbing it; it felt weird. Damon's eyes were stuck on the hand; he was trembling and had started sweating, feeling awkward.

"Um, yes.... Why?"

"How did it feel?"

Damon had started feeling embarrassed for no reason; he just didn't like where this conversation was heading to.

"Good...."

"Have you ever had sex before?"

"Well, mom said that I am too young to have sex with a girl -"

"Who said anything about a girl?"

Damon glared at him confused, he could feel his hand being every second closer to his private area.

"What do you mean?"

"What about a man?"

"Father was always saying that two men having sex is a sin -"

"Would you like to try it?"

"But father- "

"Your dad is not around anymore, Damon. He left. Did you forget it?"

Damon gulped, hurt by his friend's words. His palm was all over his crotch; Damon wasn't feeling pleasant at all.

"I don't understand what you want from me...!"

"Girls aren't honest nowadays, kiddo. Don't you want your first time to be with someone you trust?"

"B-But, but you're a guy!"

"It doesn't matter, Damon! Your dad was wrong; I can prove it."

Damon looked down; Akito's fingers were under his chin now. He lifted his chin, Damon gulped bitterly, not knowing what to do. He trusted Akito; he would never harm him or cause any trouble.

"Well, um, I guess if you say so... A kiss wouldn't be... wrong?"

"Exactly!"

Akito smiled widely; Damon cleared his throat and glared at him shyly. He didn't know what to do; he just closed his eyes and puckered his lips wishing for the best. But, he was a kid; he didn't realize he was trapped by an adult. He didn't deserve any of this.

Akito moved his free hand behind Damon's head and brought him closer to him before kissing him in the mouth. Damon was scared; he hadn't kissed a boy or a girl before. He was too young, and the only fear in his mind was this of Akito judging him for kissing terribly.

Damon didn't feel anything, he tried to pull away, but Akito had already pushed him down to the bed, holding both his arms down. Finally, after some struggling, he pulled his lips away, panting heavily, shocked; this was way more than a simple kiss.

"What the hell, Akito! I thought we agreed it would be a kiss!"

"But where's the fun if we stop at the kissing part, Damon?"

"I don't want any fun; I just want to go to bed!"

"Oh, c'mon, don't be a pussy, Damon."

Damon ground his teeth, still struggling to get free; Akito being older and stronger wasn't helping him at all.

"Let me go, arsehole!"

"Damon, please listen to me -"

"No!"

Akito rolled his eyes and laughed, holding him down with more pressure and strength.

"You're hurting me!"

"Pain is the true pleasure, kiddo."

"Fuck off!"

Akito kissed him again and again, making him shut up in the end. Damon was in tears, tired of struggling.

"We can try something... more than just kissing, and if you don't like it, we'll find a way to make it more pleasant."

"I-I don't know...."

"Don't you trust me, kiddo? I would never hurt you."

Akito pulled away; Damon's hands were severely bruised and were in pain. Akito stared at them and licked his lips.

"I am sorry for your arms; the bruises will disappear eventually."

The truth is Akito wanted to add the phrase "Just like your father" in the end but stopped in his tracks, not wanting to make him leave. The trauma will never go away, though.

"I-I... I guess... You never did anything bad at Deetra or me -"

"Shhh.... You just enjoy the moment, Damon. This will be something between you and me; no one else needs to know. It's our secret. Okay?"

"O-... Okay."

Damon was a boy in puberty but still a child. He was unaware of his friend's actions. He should have known something was wrong when he saw him unzip his jeans; he should have started screaming, hoping someone will hear him.

Damon lost the slightest bit of innocence that was left in him that night. It would take him years to find out that what Akito did that evening was wrong. His actions weren't based on love but on something more, eviler.

He acted based on his lust.

A/n: Remember to comment, like and add the book to your libary if you liked it :)