"Why do you love Soubi?" Natsuo tilted his head to one side and eyed him curiously.

"WHAT? I don't -"

"Don't bother protesting." Youji had come up behind him without Kio even suspecting and slid his arms around his waist, warm breath tickling the back of his neck.

"Gah!" He tried to jump away, but the arms merely tightened. "Stop that! Let go of me!" Kio stomped hard on a foot, but the Sacrifice didn't even flinch. Dammit!

"Answer the question." Natsuo was relentless, a cruel smile on his face as he watched Kio struggle.

"Is it because he's broken? Do you like beautiful, broken things?" Youji purred the question into his ear as Kio squirmed.

"No! Let go... treat your elders with more respect!" What did they think they were doing?

"There's no shame in it," Natsuo observed, somehow still seeming coldly rational, fascinated by Kio's discomfort. He moved closer and wrapped his arms around him from the front so that Kio was sandwiched between both Zeros. "We like pretty broken things, too. So delicate, so very tragic Soubi is, don't you think? A beautiful butterfly, like the ones he paints, with shredded wings. Crushed beneath the boot of an uncaring world and an incompetent Sacrifice." He grinned in Youji's direction, then looked up and kissed Kio, his lips chapped yet warm.

Kio pulled away, panting with his efforts to escape and sheer panic. "Stop! What are you doing?" Where the hell was Soubi when he needed him? Despite their words, they'd never treat him like this! How could he get away from someone who didn't feel pain?

A tongue around the rim of his ear and Kio froze. Why were they doing this? "Would you like us to break you?" Youji whispered. "You could be a beautiful broken thing, too. You and your beloved Soubi would match." By the tone of his voice, Kio knew he could do it, too; would enjoy doing it. He froze in terror, then fought harder, no longer caring if he caused permanent damage.

Zero backed off, laughing. "The kitten has claws after all. Our Kio is almost a man!" If he'd still had his tail, it would have been bristling at their mockery, the way they treated him like less than one their age, but instead he just trembled, with anger and fear and the adrenaline of both.

"Let's have ice cream!" Natsuo said, suddenly all kid again. Kio stared. It was like the whole conversation had never happened. "Take us out for ice cream, Kio!"

Youji grinned and grabbed his hand, tugging him towards the door. "We like you, Kio! You're fun to play with."