Prologue

A man with spiky blue hair wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans was walking down the sidewalk, his head hanging down only to look up to see where he was going. His name was Ike

'This is fucking ridiculous!' He gritted his teeth. 'How the hell can I keep my life together with my idiot brother always asking for favors to stay at my home and borrow money he never pays back!' The bluenette clenched his hands in a tight fist, his blood boiling

Ike forgot to look up and accidentally bumped into someone. "Oof!" The person grunted and fell over on their behind.

Ike quickly looked up and saw the person he had bumped into was a young man with neat blue hair neatly shaped down by a valuable gold hair band on his head and had on a blue buttoned down shirt and black pants. "Oh…Sorry about that…are you alright?" Ike asked, reaching out his hand to help him up. The young man took his hand and was helped up by Ike's firm grip. "That's alright. My name is Marth." The young man said formally.

"Ike. My name is Ike." He replied. 'Why did he just tell me his name, and why did I tell him mine?'

Marth smiled and waved his hand. "Well, see ya around, Ike." The young male walked past Ike.

Ike turned his head, his gaze following Marth down the sidewalk. His eyes caught the sight of his flawless walk and firm toned body.

For now, they both knew that their paths would cross another time, and another place.

Chapter 1

"Nick, you can't stay here!" Ike yelled. His brother, Nick, was a part of a gang, a pickpocket and all the same homeless. He was a few years younger than Ike, course, matted white bleached hair cover his head. He wore a black t-shirt with line art of a tiger printed on it and Nick's pant was maroon sweatpants with the word Minnesota on the side of one leg-which was Ike's from the start but was used and never returned, but now Ike didn't care as much anymore.

Always asking people for help-mostly from Ike-Nick would borrow money that he never would pay back and stay in their house until he was kicked out…which would be in a few hours for Ike.

"But bro. I need the shelter and the money. As far as you know I can't get a job because of my reputation."

Ike was ready to punch his younger brother below the belt. "And whose fault was that?"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down bro. I'll just borrow some money instead of staying at your place. Ok?" Ike, still wanting to beat up his failure brother stayed calm. "And how much money did you want to "borrow""?

Nick thought for a moment. "...Fifty dollars…or maybe sixty…" Knowing Nick, he couldn't make up his mind very well and that's why he joined a gang a long time ago since he would be told what to do and not have to think for himself. Ike punched himself mentally and told his brother. "No, I'm only giving you a twenty." He handed his younger brother a twenty dollar bill.

"Ugh…but that'll only last me a two days." Nick complained, not even taking the money.

"Shut up! I've had enough of your bull crap! Just take the god damned money and get outta my face!"

Nick took the money and ran like hell from Ike's house across the street hilariously falling on his face once before scrabbling to his feet and sprinted, heading to the city.

Ike slammed the door and walked slowly into his living room past a small hallway. He sighed and plopped into a red sofa, staring up at the ceiling. "What did I do to disserve this?" He laid there for a few minutes, ready to close his eyes and take a short nap the phone rang, as if on cue to wake Ike up before he fell asleep. Ike groaned and slowly got up from the sofa and walked into another room with a work desk, a few shelves with pictures and a few books. The phone was on the corner of the desk.

He picked up the phone from the receiver and said, "Hello, who is this?"

"Hello. Would you like to donate some money to our fundraiser for Watoto in Africa, Uganda?" A female voice said over the line.

"Um…no thanks." 'Damn telemarketers!' Ike thought bitterly.

"Oh, are you sure? You would be doing the sick and poor children out there a big favor, even if you just gave us one or even one quarter."

"I said no." Ike was already irritated with these random people calling him and asking for donations, sells marketing and other things that don't interest him at all.

"Alright then, but if you ever change your mind-"

"Trust me, I won't." Ike grumbled, hanging up on the woman before she could say anything more. "I swear I'll blow up if they keep this up!" Ike growled, pulling out his office chair and sat in it. He rested his elbow on the desk and put his hand over his forehead. Ike sighed, mentally wishing he were dead.

He stayed like this for a while, thinking of what do now that half of his week was wasted on his brother and working at the warehouse for extra money on his pay check.

Ike works as a packer in the warehouse he works for, always scanning and moving around merchandise for stores that sell technology products. And since his job isn't too stressful, he can escape the feeling of pulling his hair out.

Ike finally looked up from his desk and turned his gaze outside a window to his right, examining the perfect weather Mother Nature has finally brought upon them after the scorching heat of summer.

"I might as well go outside since I have nothing else to do anyway." Ike shrugged, slowly getting up from his chair and walked through a small hallway that was part of his office room and turned a corner, heading upstairs. Minutes went by and he came back down wearing black Adidas shorts and a white t-shirt.

Heading out Ike grabbed his keys from a hook by the door and slipped on a pair of good athletic shoes before walking out the door, with a click he locked it with his house key that was on a key chain necklace. He put the necklace over his head and began jogging off his driveway onto the sidewalk.

Ike kept jogging, feeling a cool, comforting breeze ruffle his spiky blue hair. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Ike though positive, his stress lifting away with every step he took through the neighborhood.

…

It didn't take long until the bluenette reached his destination; Lake Phalen.

He stopped to take a quick before running around the whole lake, hopefully with only having to stop once or twice. Catching his breath he looked at his wrist, he was wearing an electrical wrist watch. It was 7:38 PM; so far Ike estimated his finish time around the lake to be 9 o'clock or less.

Not waiting another second Ike dashed on the trail, setting his personal goal to finish in an hour or less.

…

Only half way around the lake using up only 30 minutes and he needed to catch his breath. He sat down on a nearby bench, watching people pass by, some talking to one another while walking and enjoying their nice walk, or some in small groups with fishing polls going to fish at the docks. It was almost nice to live in such a good community around.

The next few people were bikers, a young man and a girl no older than ten following close behind. The male was wearing a green tee and black pants and the girl wore a sea-green sweater over a plain orange shirt and black sweatpants. Her sweater fluttered behind her like a cape. "Marth, can we take a break? I'm tired." She called. The boy looked back and said, "Sure."

Ike's mind suddenly went racing. That name! That voice! Could it be…the person I helped a while ago?

Marth and the girl stopped by the bench and leaned their bikes against a nearby tree and sat down on the same bench as Ike, Marth sitting closest to Ike while the girl sat on the far side, reaching over the arm rest and picking up and examining her surrounding and the beautiful orange glazed lake.

Ike didn't notice he was staring all too long at the blue haired male and he had noticed and asked. "Excuse me. Do I know you?" Marth's awkward question snapped Ike back to reality. "Oh-…um…no." Or I don't think so… Ike added in his mind.

"You seem so familiar though…" Marth said, pondering about something for a while. "Ike is your name….isn't it?" He guessed.

"Yeah. And aren't you the one I bumped into yesterday?" Ike mentally slapped himself after he said that. That sounded so stupid!

"…Hu-huh. Sorry about that." Marth apologized.

"No, don't be. I was just lost in thought and didn't see you."

Only for a second their eyes met, but that moment was interrupted by an exaggerated sigh from the girl sitting beside Marth. "Marth, may I bike ahead and wait for you at the hill?" She asked, pointing to a far hill in the trees.

Marth nodded and said, "Okay, but no further than that." The girl got up from the bench and took her bike and started pedaling to the hill she said she would wait for Marth at.

"Is that your daughter?" Ike asked.

Marth looked back at Ike and said, "No. I just take her here to Lake Phalen every Saturday for a bike ride. Her parents are busy all the time and she has nothing to do after school but stay in the house alone because she's an only child." Marth explained. "So I'm pretty much like her only parent right now."

Ike knew Marth had a lot of sympathy for the girl; having no fun times with her family and always alone and no one to talk to and share their thoughts with.

"The way she describes it is; 'my life is like a one-player game, with only one controller while the others stay unplugged and useless.'" Marth said sadly.

Ike thought for a moment. "…Well, at least she has you." He gave Marth a hopeful smile. Marth smiled back. "Thanks."

He didn't realize it, but Ike rested for too long now that it was already 8:20. Damnit! Ike cursed in his head. He rushed off the bench and jogged on the trail again, this time faster and harder than before. "Sorry, I have to go!" Ike yelled over his shoulder before running out of sight in the distance. Marth was confused for a moment, but then smiled again and said to himself, "I might as well get going myself."Marth stood up and got onto his bike and pedaled down the trail to the hill where the girl was patiently waiting for him, scribbling random lines in the dirt with a stick.

'At least she has you.' Ike's words echoed in his head. Marth's smile grew when he replayed those words, encouraging him to make this girl feel like she's always had a family.