Hello people! Yeah I'm sure you're kinda wondering why I'm starting a new story while I have 'Past' to write. The answer is simple, writing 'Past' is depressing at times and I wouldn't mind having something a tad more light hearted. So I noticed this new category opened and with only two entries so…Why not?

'Thoughts'

"Spoken"

X-X

Understanding

Chapter 1

Takeya was starting to finally lose it. Two weeks after his loud decree that he was Ren's master hadn't solved all his problems, in reality it opened the door to so many more that he hadn't even considered. The first week all he got from the other students and residents of his block was odd looks. Most thought he was a pervert and by claiming to be Ren's 'master' was his way of announcing his relationship with her. One of him being 'in control.' His classmates were green with envy, the men, or thought him a pig, the girls. Only Neneko and Miu knew outside of Ren and him about the truth of his comment. The truth was Ren was a slave, and Takeya her unwitting master.

'Miu's been acting stranger than normal too after I said that, what an idiot I was to accept this!' Takeya thought as he leaned against the counter at the movie store. The last customer had left hours ago leaving him only his thoughts and his boss for company. Where Miu had been polite and helpful yet a little odd at times, she was now seemingly gushing affection for him. "Ikuhara-sama," Takeya mouthed silently reminiscing Miu's new name for him. 'She helped me study, is helping Ren to learn more things, and still it all stems from this need to appease a master.'

'What the hell perverted race would make somebody only to serve their needs?' he thought rubbing his head in confusion. A slave race that didn't feel happy unless they were fulfilling some order or command. 'Even sexual desires are something they…' Takeya's face blushed lightly at the few times Ren had tried to 'appease' his needs. Shaking off that thought, it would lead to Ren failing again to appease him if he kept thinking about it, Takeya wondered how Miu lived with it. 'Ren seems lost if I don't give her at least one order a day, she messes it up, but at least she looks happy while trying.'

Spotting the inbox overloaded with tapes, Takeya grumbled as he lifted the DVD's into his hands and headed to the aisles to restock them. It was good to have something to do, helped keep his mind from wondering too much. Ren was slowly driving him mad. She was so innocent and naive one minute, the next she was pressing her breasts against his back and licking his neck. A shiver worked its way down Takeya's back at that memory. It was the night after he proclaimed himself her master, as they laid down for sleep she climbed from her closet room to his futon, wrapped her arms around him, her breath hot against his neck. Her tongue moist and warm yet dry at the same time, 'she said it tasted salty,' Takeya mused and she thanked him for not 'throwing her away.'

'How could I throw her away…' he thought as he slid the last of the DVD's away, and pocketing the latest adult video, 'Big Busty Teenagers' for Oihiko. Supplying the DearS fanatic with porn was a great way of keeping Ren's appetite for melon bread from getting to expensive. 'I haven't watched one of these in a long time,' he smiled ruefully at that. He was a normal teenager and sex was always somewhere near the surface of his mind, but with Ren how she was, if he watched one she'd be all over him and he doubted he'd be able to stop her, or want to stop her. 'Wonder what she's doing right now anyway?'

X-X

As Takeya wondered over how his life had changed from being a normal students life to that of slave owner, Ren was being trained further on how badly she did everything. The colander still on her head, pushing her three ponytails closer together, forming one massive streak of hair, she listened to Miu rant. 'Takeya likes the food Miu makes, Ren likes it too…maybe Ren should spend more time developing Miu's skills,' she mused as she nibbled on the last of the melon bread she had. "So we can eat it now?"

Agrivated at the audacity of Ren's comment, to eat her master's food before he had a chance, Miu smacked Ren's hand reaching hand with her ladle. "You can not eat Ikuhara-sama's food before he has a chance to taste it! What type of slave eats before her master?" Miu asked in an exasperated tone. Honestly the zero-numbers were more hassle than they were worth. 'Ikuhara-sama would be much better off with me as his slave and not Ren…' Ren looked perplexed as Miu's face reddened considerably and the pink haired woman shook her head fiercely. Miu hated it, but she had been thinking of how nice being Takeya's slave would be.

'But he has Ren, and I'm sure he wouldn't want a second slave,' Miu sadly returned to stirring the pot of stew and instructing Ren on how to recreate the dish. It wasn't unheard of, in fact quite natural in the DearS community, to not be the only slave of a particular master. 'But I'm not as lucky as Ren, I'd never be able to receive 'the gift.' I've failed one master already, why should I expect such a blessing.' So wrapped in her thoughts, Miu missed Ren dropping half of the melon bread into the pot, she didn't even see it sink into the pot. "Ikuhara-sama should be arriving shortly, have you finished with the cleaning as I have told you?"

Nodding happily Ren smiled, "Ren did, Ren did everything Miu told her. Am I useful, will you praise me?" Emphasizing her point, Ren stuck her head closer to Miu, waiting and hoping for a pat on the head and a reply of how great a job she had done. Having Miu instruct her had greatly improved Ren's abilities to cook and clean, for the most part. She no longer tossed all of Takeya's stuff outside or made food not suited for human consumption. Miu's hand rigidly rubbed the colander on Ren's head and wondered how exactly Ren lived without constantly bubbling. Oblivious to the look of pained compliance on Miu's face, Ren smiled and hurried over to the makeshift table.

Turning the stove down to a simmer, Miu joined Ren on the floor. "So Ren, how have things been between you and Ikuhara-sama after he accepted you?" To hear of 'the gift' was always something Miu wanted to know. It was so rare and wonderful that to not ask would have felt odd to her. 'He really is a lot better than I originally gave him credit for. He is much like my old master, yet he isn't involved in any illegal activities as my old master was.' Miu wasn't ignorant to how her old master had acquired his money, paid for her, or the reason he was killed.

Ren's smile faded slightly as she started to pull at the ribbon of her school uniform. "Takeya still doesn't let Ren appease him. Takeya doesn't like to hug or kiss Ren," her head sagging slightly as her hands lowered to her skirt, her fingers running over the edges of the material to give her mind something to feel other than rejection. 'Ren likes being touched, wants to be touched yet master doesn't so Ren must accept it.' Part of her conditioning was to not be afraid of her potential master's desires, and Ren hadn't been, in reality Ren had a very strong desire herself to express herself physically. "Master said it is improper to touch when there is no love. Miu what is love?"

Her eyes slightly wider, Miu just soaked in what Ren had told her. 'Ikuhara-sama hasn't allowed Ren to nurse him?' She had remembered nursing her old master many times even though she was young; it was natural for DearS to perform. Love wasn't something a DearS was expected to know, they were property, an appliance. "I cannot answer that Ren-san. Ikuhara-sama might not understand fully about his right as your master. I will talk to him more about it for you." If it helped Takeya, Miu would do it. It wasn't for the pride of the DearS community anymore no she trained Ren to appease Takeya. To be useful to him in some way and that way was training Ren to be good enough.

"Ren really wants to be touched by her Master," Ren said sadly, almost silently as Miu pondered what would make a master expect love from a slave. Ren replayed her talk with Hiro in the utility closet back at the school. Hiro touched her, said he liked to be satisfied, he even touched her shoulder slightly, a brief hug. It felt different to Ren then, she didn't want Hiro to touch her like that, only Takeya, only her master. 'I always want too…' the door opened and the smile of seeing her master walking in was back on her face, the sadness and confusion gone dormant. "Welcome home Master!"

Kicking his shoes off, Takeya grumbled loudly, "Stop calling me that damn it!" It was hard enough to cope with the knowledge already, it was near impossible when she was flaunting it in front of him. Sniffing the air, and pressing firmly against Ren's shoulders to keep her from jumping onto him, Takeya let out a content sigh. "Ah beef stew, smells good," Miu beamed a bright smile at the man while Ren sulked a moment before wrapping her arm around Takeya's and lead him to the waiting dishes.

Taking some of the beef in her chopsticks, Ren turned to Takeya. "Ren feed master, ok?" Nodding quickly and pushing the food towards Takeya's unsuspecting mouth, Ren wasn't really going to listen one way or the other. Takeya let out a startled yelp only to have it lost as well prepared beef was forced into his mouth blocking his air. Coughing and sputtering, Takeya forced the food, mostly unchewed down his throat, Ren smiled unknowingly. "Ren do good job helping Takeya. Right?"

Counting to ten really fast in his head to attempt to calm down, Takeya took in a deep breath, partially to keep from yelling and also to refill his aching lungs. "You did the best you could in your own way," he did admit to the very content Ren, who upon hearing his words leapt at him again and brought him to the ground. Hugging herself against him firmly and rubbing her breasts against his side. "Now knock that off!" he tried fruitlessly to get her to remove herself from him.

Grabbing Ren by her hear, Miu pulled the overly affectionate DearS off of her master. "Ren-san you really need to learn control, its distasteful to do such things in front of company and embarrass your master!" Miu just didn't like to watch Ren rub the gift in her face. Pushing Ren back into the kitchen, Miu turned back to Takeya and pulled him to his feet. "Ikuhara-sama, are you alright?" her hand rested on the small of his back.

'These girls are going to kill me!' Takeya mentally cried. One moment things look good, a nice supper waiting for him, then Ren nearly chokes him with it. Now Miu is helping him back up after Ren's showering of affection only to be hitting one of his sweet spots and sending his mind right down into the gutter. 'If she doesn't move that hand I might just jump her here!' He didn't like that way of thinking but it was true, he couldn't deny he found boy Ren and Miu overly attractive and with the small circles Miu was making on his back his was getting well beyond turned on. Stepping away from Miu, "I'm fine, just need some air."

Giving the wall clock at glance, Miu gasped, "Its so late, I must be on my way home or my home stay parents will be worried." Gathering her few amenities into a bag, Miu cast a long glance at Takeya before heading to the door. "I hope you enjoy the meal and Ren-san! I expect you to be on your best behavior and not bother Ikuhara-sama!" Ren again nodded briefly and smiled at Takeya.

Feeling himself melting into that smile and his libido growing, Takeya was starting to panic. Surely Ren would sense his urges soon, he needed a way out, a way to keep Ren safe from him. "Miu-san, its so late, I better walk you home," grabbing his discarded jacket and putting it back on, he spotted Ren's tilted head looking at him quizzically. "Ren you watch over the apartment ok?" It wouldn't do any good to cool his heels if Ren was walking right next to him, or on him, as the case would likely be.

Ren's smile faded instantly as Takeya's words and Miu's fierce stare entered Ren's mind. She wanted to go with him, be with him, but if her master ordered her to stay and watch the apartment she had to. "Oh before I go," Takeya pulled a melon bread from his jacket pocket, "it's the only one the convenience store had, I'll get more from Oihiko tomorrow." Taking the plastic wrapped goodness in her hands, Ren completely forgot why she was upset in the first place and opted to eat her treat while Takeya and Miu left.

X-X

'I didn't know she lived so far away, she's been walking here all the time?' Takeya thought as he checked his watch again. Fifteen minutes had passed as the two walked making idle conversation, and still they hadn't come close to Miu's home. 'Why does she go to such lengths for me, or is it Ren?' Hearing some of Miu's rather passionate remarks about how incompetent Ren was, Takeya was more willing to belief the latter. "Miu," Takeya asked breaking Miu off of her dialogue about her class. "Why do you do this…walk so far to help Ren?" He couldn't keep himself from asking.

A light rose blush blossomed on Miu's cheeks. "I want Ren-san to be a more skilled member of the DearS community. To better serve her master." It was the truth but a clouded one. Miu could feel her heart beating faster as she pondered why he had asked, and the slight deviation from the truth she had told. "Has Ren been able to assist you well Ikuhara-sama?" While on the topic of Ren, Miu couldn't keep her reservations at bay.

Scratching his chin, Takeya really didn't know how to reply to Miu's question. Ren was, well Ren was Ren. She didn't make his life harder, just different. From her odd cooking to her overly affectionate way of reacting to praise, Ren wasn't unpleasant to have around at all. "I guess she has been…its just at times I don't know what to do."

Tilting her head, Miu took a sidelong glance at the man next to her. "What do you mean?" Miu's question went unanswered for a good several minutes, the two just walked. The sounds of the night surrounded them, the only sound they heard was their footfalls. Wondering if Takeya hadn't heard her, Miu tried again. "Has Ren been causing you troubles?"

'I guess Miu would be the person to ask about this, she is a DearS after all,' Takeya reasoned. His own embarrassment adding to his uncertainty, "at times she…when I feel…" How was he supposed to ask Miu what DearS think about sex, it was hard enough to think about it while alone. "When I get excited, she tries to…well she calls it appeasing my desires…but what about love. Don't you…don't you want to do that with only those you love?" How he prayed at that moment that Miu understood his rather oddly worded question.

'Ah, so that is what Ren was talking about, he worries about how we feel regarding sexual relations,' Miu thought candidly. The silence returned while they walked, Miu had to word her response better than Takeya had his question. "Ikuhara-sama, to us DearS, sexual appeasement is just another task. We don't feel love like humans do, we live only to make our masters happy." Takeya's face paled at Miu's words, it was so strange to hear how the ultimate showing of love was nothing but a job to DearS. Miu continued, "if it makes our masters happy we would gladly perform any act on them or allow them to do to us. If they are happy than we are happy, it is as simple as that."

It was so cold, so unfair to them, the DearS, that Takeya stopped walking, "That's not right!" Miu noticed his anger showing again, a trait that most knew would case Takeya more troubles in the future if not harnessed. "How is it fair to Ren if I just use her as a sexual outlet, not caring if she wants to or not. Its rape!" The word left an unpleasant feeling in his mouth, dirtied his mind and body to think of it.

Miu just shook her head, "Sorry Ikuhara-sama but you are wrong. Your logic applies to humans. To take a human without consent is rape, but we DearS aren't human. We are possessions. We expect it," knowing Ren's opinion of the matter and her own unknown desire, "and some of us wish it, but can't ask as slaves don't make demands upon their masters." Luckily for the two they had passed under a street overpass and their voices downed out by the running water next to them, otherwise their unique discussion would have drawn a crowd.

He felt cold, it was to much to believe, "What about wives then…other people…what happens if…If I get married would…" Takeya couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of Ren having no real say in it. What if Takeya got married, would Ren just sit and watch, would she still try to sedate his sexual desires if a wife or girlfriend were in his life? How would Ren feel if Takeya had sex with somebody else?

"We don't have the same rights that our masters do, we cannot marry henceforth it wouldn't be a problem," to this even Miu looked saddened. Knowing ones place was one thing, accepting it was another. The pair lapsed into another silence, the city lights slowly going out around them as they neared an alley. "You needed feel bad about having Ren nurse you Ikuhara-sama, or if you feel 'love' for another. Ren is a DearS she knows she cannot have such a precious place in your heart, it is meant for our masters other. We just do our job."

"How can you say that?" Takeya yelled and kicked a nearby can hard. "How can you say it's just a job to you? What would you feel if you knew somebody you cared about was doing something so precious with somebody else!" Talking about sex with a girl was harder on Takeya than he had first suspected. He wasn't the fierce bastard the girls and a few of the guys in the class took him for. He was more sensitive than they gave him credit for; he was just cruder with his way of showing it. "Hypothetically…how would Ren feel if you and I did that?" It was odd using her as an example, but he couldn't have said Neneko, she was to good a friend to think of in such a light.

Taken aback by the comment, Miu just stammered and looked at her feet. Had such a thing happened Ren wouldn't have been upset, Miu hoped. A DearS wasn't supposed to feel jealousy for sharing her master. Miu had shared her last master with two older and more experienced DearS until his death. But what had Miu more flustered was the image of being with him like that, how the image excited her, how she wanted it to be real. "She would accept it. Jealousy isn't something a DearS is supposed to have, Ren is no different. She will have to accept it, as you will no doubt eventually seek out a mate. DearS aren't capable of bearing children so if you wish them, you would need to find a mate."

Takeya's reply was cut short as a harsh voice laughed loudly from behind them. "All this talk about mating is getting me excited, how about you guys?" the voice eminated from a large man clad in a leather jacket. His ears heavily pierced and his eyes covered with sunglasses despite the absence of the sun. "Grab um!" he yelled to his three compatriots. Takeya and Miu had only moments to realize they had wandered off their path and ended up close to the red light district and the sorted occupants. Two of the assailants, one a skinny man with a bandana and long nose the other a pudgy man in a white t-shirt, advanced on Takeya while the leader and another skinny man headed towards Miu.

While Takeya wasn't weak in any sense, he wasn't prepared for the attack of two men, "What the hell do you guys want?" he asked pointlessly as the skinny man lunged at him. Dodging to his left Takeya was blindsided by the pudgy man. His face exploded in pain as the fat man's fist hit him unexpectedly. Falling to his knees, he saw Miu in a similar position. Her arms in the hands of the leader, her legs in the t-shirted man's, being pulled into an alley. He felt his own body being hoisted up on his feet, his arms held painfully high up against his back. "What the fuck do you think your doing?"

The three goons just laughed as their leader walked over to Takeya. Forced down to his knees in the alley, Takeya could smell the tobacco smell on the leaders face. "We were just on our way to the red-light when you and you pretty friend here caught our attention." The man looked at Miu's chest and down to her legs, "Nice woman you have here, we figured with how you were talking she wouldn't mind being used for a nice fuck, you don't mind do you?" The man laughed again as Takeya struggled to get to his feet, a punch to the stomach ended that struggle.

Miu looked on helplessly as one of the men near Takeya pulled out a knife and held it to his throat. "Now missy, if you don't want lover boy here to be hurt you'll do what we tell you right?" The t-shirted man's hand fell to her breast and pulled off her ribbon. "Right?" It was clear what the men wanted, and Miu could understand briefly what Takeya had been talking about earlier. She was going to be used by these men to keep Takeya safe. She nodded softly as tears started to form in her eyes, she didn't want that she realized. 'So this is what Ikuhara-sama feared Ren would feel like if he sought her…'

Takeya screamed out no, told Miu to forget about him and fight back, the other men hadn't realized just how powerful a DearS could be, or that Miu was actually one of them. "Hey boss, she's got a collar on, isn't that cute?" the T-shirted man said as he pulled lightly on the triangle hinge of the collar. Miu watched as the leader advanced on her, Takeya receiving another blow to keep him from moving, the knife flashed against his skin to remind him who was in control.

"Don't worry about him, I'm sure he'll like watching this, maybe we'll give him a turn too," the leader leered at Miu. Kneeling down to look her in the eye, Miu's first instinct was to turn her head he pulled it back. "Such a pretty face is wasted on a no talent punk." Reaching his hand up from under Miu's skirt the man's hand clasped onto Miu's pink dotted bra and pulled it down hard ripping not only it but most of her shirt off as well. "Not to big not to small, perfect," he leaned in and flicked the unintentionally hardening nipple with his forefinger. "Little cold Missy?"

"Just please don't hurt Ikuhara-sama…please." Miu begged, fearful of what would happen to Ren's master if she didn't comply. She could easily have stopped these men, but with a human in danger Miu couldn't do anything except pray her acceptance would make her pain less and Takeya's life spared. The leader stood and smiled sickly at Miu and turned to Takeya. His hands fumbled with his belt and soon his pulled his pants and boxers down, his member wagging in Miu's face.

"I think you know what to do darling," his smug voice called out, yes Miu knew, but before Miu was forced to do anything, Takeya had finally had enough. He wasn't going to sit there and watch Miu, a friend, be violated. Throwing his weight backwards as hard as possible to throw the men off of him. A moment of panic seared in Takeya's mind as the two seemed to hold still against his force, then the sound of sneakers sliding against pavement urged him to push harder. His shoulders ached with the force of his push but the two men gave and he fell down upon them.

His pained arms freed from the assault, Takeya quickly reached for the knife before the others had a chance to react. The leader turned to see his men on the ground and Takeya moving, had the man's pants been up Takeya would have received a boot to the head. However with the quickness of the move, the leader had forgotten his state of dress, so when he went to draw back his leg to kick the fabric cough his shoe and his stumbled. It was all the time Takeya needed to rush him, knife in hand. "You asshole! You better the fuck leave now before I kill you here!" Takeya roared as he pressed the flat of the blade against the man's neck.

Like many supposed strong men, Tamiya, was in fact a coward, using his size to bully his way into a place of power. The coldness of the blade against his skin broke his façade of strength instantly. "Sorry man…sorry…we were just…just going to…" a strong blow to his jaw sent him flying against a wall knocking him unconscious. The other men at seeing how the meek and powerless girl had bested their boss, it had been Miu punching Tamiya, they too put on a show of cowardice and ran, leaving their bleeding leader behind.

Adrenaline still coursing heavily in his blood, Takeya looked at the crying Miu. 'She was going to let them do it to her…willing to let them rape her to save me," he felt sickened by the willingness of the DearS at that moment, and pity. 'She doesn't know anything else, neither does Ren too I guess.' And it was then that Takeya realized that not only Ren, but Miu needed support. Taking his jacket off and wrapping it around the crying Miu, Takeya helped her up. "Its ok…you're safe now. They didn't get a chance to…" he couldn't finish.

Miu burst out sobbing as the fear left her, wrapping her arms around Takeya she was never more relieved. "Ikuhara-sama…Ikuhara-sama thank you. I'm so sorry. If I had acted faster they wouldn't have hurt you. I'm sorr…" Takeya's hug stopped her voice dead in her throat. Reveling in the comfort and warmth of his hug, Miu started to calm down. Softly, nearly inaudible, "I wish you were my master, Ikuhara-sama…" Looking up at Takeya, who hadn't heard her, Miu felt it a dream. She had passed out in fear as the large man advanced on her. Dropping into her mother tongue she spoke, spoke in a frantic state of mind that the fear and desire to live imparted. 'From this moment until the end of time you are my master,' she finished by placing a firm kiss against Takeya's un-expecting lips.

'Ren said something like this when I first found her,' Takeya too loaded on hormones and adrenaline kissed Miu back as his arms pulled her closer. He hadn't any clue that what was happening would again alter his life forever. Miu had in her moment of weakness, tried for what Ren had, a gift. The chaste kiss ended as Miu pulled back, her eyes still closed yet shedding a few tears rested her head on Takeya's shoulder.

'This is safety, this is what having a master is like…Ren made a good choice in him…' then through the fog of fear that the near rape induced, Miu realized what she had done. Her eyes snapped open and she looked at the confused Takeya. "Master, I apologize for my actions…I truly apologize master." Takeya just gapped at Miu, she was calling him master, then Miu's words from when he first met her sank in. 'The first kiss between master and slave bound them forever.' Miu had just positioned herself as Takeya's slave, as Ren had.

Leading her out of the alley and back towards her home, the two didn't speak. Miu was in shock of her boldness and her worries for how her actions would affect her new master. A DearS wasn't allowed to sever a contract, so unless Takeya did she would be his slave for the rest of his life or her own. Takeya just didn't know what to think, his problems that day started with his fear of violating Ren with his own sexual desires, now he had another DearS claiming to be his slave. Not a real improvement. Miu wished him a good night as he walked her to her door, she promised to inform him on more tomorrow, he had much to think about.

But now he had to get home to Ren, who was probably waiting for him. His sex drive had been killed by the events of the walk, but that didn't mean they would always be. But for now he just had to get home and stop thinking. 'How did this happen?' He asked the stars as he walked. He hadn't asked for it, hadn't asked for any of it. But he wasn't going to abandon anybody. He knew Ren needed somebody to care for her as much as she needed somebody to take care of, Miu was the same in an emotional state, her break down in the well was enough sign of that. All he could think of as he neared his apartment was, 'this sucks.'

X-X

Well that's chapter one. Sorry of the near rape scene was a bit cliché or bad. I tried to do this as best as I could and keep everybody in character.

Hope you liked it and thanks again to Zen-Chan for prereading!

Bye everybody.