The birds chirped away cheerfully, welcoming another new day.

Zao woke up to his annoyingly loud alarm clock and quickly got ready, he liked getting through things quick for he had little to no patience. Zao soon got downstairs finding Yao who was already down there, groggily getting ready two cups of tea...one for him, and one for Zao.

That old butler guy, Mr Lu, had told him that Zao liked drinking tea in the morning.

Yao honestly couldn't care less, but if he had to be this idiot's servant, he'd have to do what he was told. And now he was being told, if indirectly, to make a cup of tea.

"Can't you be any faster? I'm going to be late for school aru." Zao complained with furrowed brows looking at his wrist watch." We don't need any slow and useless servants in this household." Zao retorted, growing impatient.

Yao gave him an offended look, finally finishing up the tea.

"Well if you're so great, why don't you make your own tea aru!" He snapped under his breath, sliding the cup over to Zao.

"Sorry, what was that again? I didn't quite catch it aru." Zao inquired calmly before sipping the tea." Anyways, I'm going to be late so I won't have the breakfast that you never prepared." Zao rolled his eyes as he got up, snatching his backpack up in the process.

Yao was tempted to grab the nearest thing around and whack him with it, but refrained.

"Good thing I never prepared it then," He retorted brightly. "I hope it's not a part of my job to accompany you to school too, aru?"

"Do as you wish, you're a servant not a slave aru." Zao answered in monotone as he stepped out the door slamming it behind him.

"I honestly don't see the difference aru," Muttered Yao, grabbing his coat and following.

He had changed into a simple long-sleeved shirt and pants instead of his usual Chinese wear, thinking that that may look suspicious, but hadn't realized how uncomfortable they might be.

//How do people wear these all the time?!//

He caught up to Zao shortly, walking next to him at a brisk pace.

"I thought you wouldn't follow." Zao stated nonchalantly gazing off to the distance"I didn't really want to follow you either," Yao retorted. "It's part of my job, you know."

A pause.

"You okay there? You look zoned-out, aru."

"What, are you my therapist now?" Zao retorted not thinking about what he said."Nope, my job doesn't cover that," Yao replied coolly. "But I thought there might be an imbalance in your ying and yang, so I asked."

"I'm pretty well balanced thank you very much." Zao answered as they reached his college." I'll be fine on my own from here." Zao said as he walked into the gates.

"Sure you are, you ying-centred weirdo aru," Muttered Yao, watching as Zao disappeared through the gates.He wondered what he should do now...Maybe go back home and check the other's documents for illegal records.

Yeah, he'd do that.

After all, he wasn't here to bicker with this guy. He was here to put a stop to this drug-dealing nonsense.

He turned around and started making his way back to the house.

[End of school]

It was almost the end of school and Zao was grateful for that. He had heard enough gossips for one day.

"He's only here because his family is rich on dealing drugs."

"Really? They really have no shame."

"I know right, what dirty money."

And the gossips go on and on, it repeats everyday, he isn't exactly bullied...Just... isolated.

[Yao's side]

Yao sighed to himself as he walked over to accompany Zao home from school, another one of his jobs. He hadn't found any documents yet, something which annoyed him.    //They must be hidden better than I thought.//

Yao was the first thing that came into his view when Zao walked out of the school building. And the gossips soon followed.

"Why does Zao need someone to pick him up...?"

"Yeah...We're not in kindergarten"

And so on so forth.

Zao knows that the only reason that he isn't bullied is that no one dared to. So he had to keep himself strong no matter what."Let's go aru." Zao ordered walking past Yao and not waiting for him.

Yao rolled his eyes, following obediently.

"Well hello to you too, Sunshine," He muttered, trailing behind.

"Anyways, I've never introduced myself. My name is Wang Zao and I'm the third son of the ten sons of my father. My dad's probably going to pass the business down to one of my two older brothers since I have no ambition nor interest." Zao introduced revealing his name and a slight peek into his family status." It's your turn aru." Zao stated slowing his pace slightly so that Yao was walking beside him.

Inside of him, Yao filed this information for later possible use.

Outside, he laughed slightly.

"Talk about random aru," He joked.

"I expected an answer." Zao scoffed as he looked disapprovingly at Yao's way." You wouldn't want me to call you servant if I needed you aru." Zao snickered picking up the pace slightly.

Yao quickened his pace to match the other's.

"Well, if it helps O Great One," He replied sarcastically, "My name's Chen Yao, and I don't have much of an amazing backstory except that I need a job aru."

Of course, the name and history were fake, courtesy of the police Chief. He had been allowed to keep his first name in order to not get confused.

"You don't need to call me "O great one" just Zao would suffice." Zao "joked" (since you couldn't really tell if he was stating a fact or just joking) ." I'll call you Yao from now on." Zao stated as they arrived at the mansion.

"Can I just call you Yin-Magnet or something?" Muttered Yao, ringing the doorbell before Zao had the chance to.

You know I heard that aru." Zao stated without looking at Yao. The door opened as Mr.Lu bowed." Welcome back young master." Zao nodded in acknowledgement as he stepped into the house.

Yao followed, ignoring Zao's comment.

"Any jobs you want me to do or something aru?" He asked through gritted teeth. The idea of doing anything for this idiot made him what to hurl.

"Nothing really, I don't want your clumsy service to mess up my studying." Zao answered before disappearing into his room.

As he closed his door gently he couldn't help but knock his head on the door lightly a few times.

//Dammit, I didn't mean anything that I've said//

Zao let out an exasperated sigh before flopping down on the bed...

[dream]

A little boy opened the door laughing as he ran in.

"Mom! Mom! It's my birthday today! Did you get me any present aru?"

The little boy's smile froze on his face as he saw his mother.

She was on the ground, looking up at the sky lifelessly and beside her limp body, the once snow white cake was slowly consumed with blood red...

"Mother? Mother?" The little boy flew to her side shaking her.

"Mother? Please wake up... We haven't eaten the birthday cake yet... You can't sleep now!"

Suddenly a powerful hand landed on the sobbing boy's shoulder. The little boy turned around seeing his father.

"Dad...? What are you doing here? Aren't you going to call an ambulance?" The little boy looked frantically at his father.

"It's no use she's already dead." The father stated coldly not sparing the little boy a glance.

"How... How do you know...? Don't tell me..." The little boy's grew wide with fear.

"What if I did? You know the rules here son, the weak don't deserve to live. Plus I needed her inheritance." The man grinned mercilessly.

"W...Why? She loved you! Why couldn't you have asked... She... She would've handed it to you without a doubt!"

"But I had to made sure... What if she didn't love me anymore? What if she told me no? I might have been so mad that I would have to kill her, and I don't want to dirty my own hands." The man continued showing no care for the boy's emotions.

"Y...you monster aru!" The little boy screamed taking up a kitchen knife and stabbing it at the man.

The man dodged his attack easily and caught his wrist." Planning to commit murder only seven years old? What a monster of a child... But I like it... You and I... We're but birds of a feather..."

Zao woke up gasping as cold sweat ran down his spine. His red eyes reflecting the moonlight that shone in. His father's words echoing in his mind over and over again.

"Dammit! He and I aren't the same!" Zao roared pounding the bed as if reassuring himself.

//How?//

A little voice sounded in his head.

//you're merciless with your tongue and actions. How are you two different?//

Zao couldn't help but think of all the things he had said to Yao. At this rate he's going to break him at some point. With resolution, he stood up and went to find Yao.

He'll apologize and prove that he's still human.

Yao yawned as he finished cleaning the dishes tiredly. It was only six, but he felt like going to bed already.

//That's what work does to a person...//

He finished scrubbing the last cooking utensil sleepily, (a big pot) before drying his wet hands and making his way out of the kitchen.

//Now to find that idiot Zao...//

Zao wandered to the kitchen to grab a cup of water and coincidentally, found Yao." Um...Uh Yao I wanted to tell you something." Zao stuttered seeing Yao.

Yao blinked once, twice.

"Oh, hi. What do you want, aru?"

"Uh...I just wanted to say that...that.." Zao stuttered, taking a deep breath in before looking down like a deflated balloon" Whatever, never mind." He whispered before turning his back to Yao." Get me a glass of water and send it to my room. Knock before you come in too." Zao ordered coldly before going back to his room again.

//I wanted to say sorry... Why can't I get these words out of my mouth?//

"Can't you do it yourself?" Muttered Yao to himself before straightening and calling out, "Fine!"

Turning around, he went back to the kitchen and got a glass of water before making his way over to Zao's room and knocking.

Loudly.

Four times.

Nonstop.

While yelling,

"I GOT YOUR WATER ARU!!!!" Very loudly.

Zao dropped his pen out of shock, he wasn't used to such loud screaming. But he soon snapped out of his daze regaining his composure.

"No.need.to.scream." Zao said emphasizing each word through gritted teeth as he jerked the door open.

 Yao looked at him innocently.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I disrupting your very important work aru?" 

Zao snatched the water out of Yao's hand and without saying anything slammed the door in Yao's face.

"What a monster of a temper he's got..." Yao mumbled furiously before stomping off to get ready for bed. 

Zao froze at the mumbling that had travelled through the door and to his heart. 

"What a monster of a temper he's got."

"What a monster of temper."

"What a monster."

"A monster."

[memory]

"Are you sure he won't oppose you?"

"Of course. He's been trained by me personally, to become a monster."

"Then I shall question you no more, I wish to see results."

"You will get them."

A pair of black gleaming eyes fled after the converse. He now knew it all, the plan, everything. He wasn't going to do it, instead he was going to do something else, something he's been waiting to do for seven years. This is the only chance he's got, the only time that his father wouldn't be watching his every move. 

[time/event change]

The boy pointed his gun to his father's forehead. 

"This is the end, me and Kuro will run away from here and start a new life." He couldn't help but smile smugly, the man that had ruined his childhood, the man who had tried to turn him into a monster had finally lost, lost to him, the one who was always losing.

"hahahaha Aren't you naive and cute. You think I hadn't planned everything in advance? Bring him out!" The man laughed, ordering haughtily. 

The boy's eyes widened in fear as his brother was dragged out by four of his father's men.

"Why is he here?!" Zao looked at his brother; fear pouring out of his eyes as the man behind him dug the gun deeper into his skull. 

"Drop the gun and I'll order them to let him go." The older man grinned ominously, casting a shadow under his eyes. 

*thunk*

The gun dropped to the hard wooden floor as the boy ran towards his brother.

"Kuro! Are you hurt? Why are you h...!" 

The boy was suddenly knocked down with a kick to the stomach. 

"Zao kun, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?" 

Kuro grinned slyly kneeling down and lifting his chin up.

"You're not my brother! Who are you aru?!" 

Zao snarled smacking Kuro's hand off. His mind was a mixture of fear, anger, bewilderment but most of all sorrow. He knew the answer to his own question, but he couldn't admit it. If he admitted it, it would mean crushing his own dream.

"Of course I am your brother! But I don't want to be your brother..." Kuro leaned in breathing into Zao's ear." I want to be... Your lover."

"Father, he's all yours." Kuro smiled turning away and slamming the door.

"Why, Kuro why? Why? Why!!!" Zao roared with tears streaming down. Kuro had ruined it all, his life, his hope, his future." All I wanted was a normal life with you aru!" 

"Now, you see why being a monster is so easy? If I were you, I wouldn't have dropped the gun. All my men know the rules here; The weak doesn't deserve to live(1). You would've been free! But now, because of your emotions that you can't erase, you've lost it all and the one who stole it was none other than the one you've cared and loved for! How perfectly ironic!" The older man laughed sadistically while stomping on Zao mercilessly.

Zao bit his lips, stopping the ear piercing screams that would come out. But that didn't stop the stream of blood that ran down, forming a small puddle on the floor.

*crack*

As if on cue, Zao's scream broke out. That crack was none other than his rib cage's breaking from being stomped for so long and so hard.

"Phew! That took a long time! Your bones sure are sturdy! Expected from my son!" The man laughed like a proud father whose son had won an award but his eyes tell a different story...

"You...you won't get away with this...aru." Zao breathed lifelessly before being consumed with darkness...

(1) He meant that if he was killed than his man wouldn't follow him anymore because he was weak and allowed someone to kill him.

The memory hasn't ended yet! It's just that I think I'll leave that for the next chapter! Many thanks to all of y'all who's reading this! I know this isn't the most popular ship in America (it's quite popular in China) and my writing skills aren't the best. So thanks to all who is bearing with this! Until next time! Peace!-Note from Author