I Was Born To Love You

"Why don't you let my boys take her home?" Haru smirked

"No! I don't trust them!" Kei protested.

"You think they'd go back on my word?" Haru frowned.

"I don't- that's not- ugh!" Kei flustered.

Aki wrapped her arms tighter around Kei's neck.

Haniel scowled and stalked over to the group with his large wings flared out to their full length. He inserted himself directly between Kei and Haru, looking the latter straight in the eye. "Is there a problem here gentlemen? Something I should know about?"

Haru's scowl deepened. "Of course not, yer majesty. Just talkin to Kei about our study arrangements."

Kei's gaze faltered and he instead looked to the ground. "There's no problem" He mumbled. "I'll be right over to study after I take Aki home."

Haniel scoffed disbelievingly. "Some studying that must be." He turned away, purposefully bumping Haru with his wings.

"Kei, I would be most honored if you would allow me to walk you and Aki home today," he said, bowing gracefully to the boy.

Kei's face flushed and he refused to look up. "You shouldn't... I'm not a good person to hang around with..." He mumbled.

Aki looked sad, but didn't say anything.

Haniel put a gentle hand on Kei's back and smiled at him, steering him toward the road. "Now, I don't believe that for a second. Let's just get you home, okay?"

"Okay..." Kei mumbled.

Aki gave him a small smile.

Haniel walked the two of them home, keeping up a steady stream of lighthearted banter the entire way. When they finally arrived, Hani pulled Kei aside to talk. "Kei, I am more than capable of helping you with any schoolwork you might be having trouble with, as my tutoring has me in a considerably higher difficulty level than the subject matter at school, so there's no need for you to go to that 'study session' with Haru. But I don't believe that's what's really going on. Whatever it is, I am sure that it's not good, and I plan on putting a stop to it right away."

Kei shrugged it off. "I have to go. I always go. Its part of our deal." He gave him a big fake smile. "Its not so bad, I am actually learning a lot"

Hani scowled, not buying it. "And just what sort of deal would that be? Don't you dare lie to me either; I may be friendly, but I am still the future king."

"I play his game and he leaves Aki alone" Kei replied. "She's sick, she can't defend herself. Its the best I can do; I can't even defend us both from him" Kei hugged himself, looking to the ground. "I just don't want her getting hurt..."

Haniel grabbed Kei''s chin and tilted it up to look him in the eye. "What sort of game? What does he do to you?" he said in a dangerous tone of voice. There were all sorts of horrific possibilities, and Haniel had murder in his eyes at just the thought of some of them.

"It doesn't matter, and I don't have to answer." Kei replied, smacking Haniel's hand away. "Just, be like all the other Dragoons and not care what happens to a stupid Fairy like me" He stated, turning away.

Haniel reached out and grabbed the back of Kei's shirt. "Wait, Kei! I'm not like the other Dragoons, and I do care! I'm not gonna let him hurt you, or your sister! Please don't walk away!"

"Just let go" Kei sighed. He stopped walking so Haniel wouldn't rip his shirt.

"I won't!" Haniel said, close to tears. "Please don't go, Kei! I'm the second most influential person on this planet; I can help you. Just give me a chance, please!"

"I'm too dumb to be helped. "I'm not worth anything to anyone. I'm a waste of air, waste of food." Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. "Waste of a big brother."

Haniel swiftly spun Kei around and hugged him tight to his chest, folding his large, powerful dragon wings around the boy protectively. "Don't say that," he said firmly, his lips close to Kei's ear. "Don't you ever say that, because it isn't true. Everyone's life has value to someone. I bet Aki would tell you that you're worth something to her; that you're not a waste of air or food, and that she thinks you're a wonderful big brother. So don't you ever say that, do you hear me? That's an order!"

Kei sniffled loudly. "It is true" He mumbled, his head resting weakly against Haniel's chest. "I am a waste. Everybody I know thinks I am. I bet my mom thinks I am too."

"Shhhh..." Haniel whispered, rubbing his back. "Shhh, don't cry Kei. I don't think that's true at all. I know it's not. And don't you worry anymore about Haru and his lackeys; I'll see that they're dealt with. So no more subjecting yourself to him, okay? It isn't worth it. You're worth more than that. You hear me?"

Kei nodded his head, his hair mussing against the front of Haniel's shirt. "Okay..." He mumbled with a smaller sniffle.

Haniel held the boy in his arms tightly; he felt so thin and frail. It broke the prince's heart to think that the poor boy had been subjected to such horrible treatment that he didn't even think himself worthy of enough food to keep him healthy and strong. He decided then and there that he would never allow anything to hurt that boy, or his sister, ever again. He would do everything in his power, and maybe some things that weren't, to meet that goal.

"Kei, I'm going to go home for a bit. Don't you dare go and see Haru while I'm gone. That's an order. I'm going to come back with dragons to ride, and I'm going to bring your family to stay at the palace with me for a while. You'll all be safe and happy there, I promise."

Kei's face snapped up to gawk at Haniel. "What? no! I won't go to the palace!" He stated, pushing away from Haniel. "I don't want to go! I'm staying here!" He ran in to the house and to the room he shared with Aki (which was empty for now) to throw himself down on the bed.

Hani followed Kei into the room, concerned. "Kei, what's wrong? Are you alright? You don't have to be afraid, Kei," he said, sitting beside him on the bed and rubbing his back.

Kei made a noise of distress and pulled the pillow over his head. He was scared of other Dragoons. Haniel didn't act like other Dragoons so he wasn't as wary of him, but the mean uppity dragoons were terrifying.