[ Im sorry~ I did too >3< Im really attached to my characters... ]

Andrew didn't take notice in his teacher or Seth beside him. The only thing he was focused on and cared about at this moment was Aiden's casket and the hole that it had been put down into. His whole head leaned forward and he focused on the ground. Not because there was anything interesting about the earth that he stood on, but because he didn't think he had the strength to keep it up anymore. 

He didn't think he was going to be able to bare loosing his friend. How could he? Aiden had been there one moment, happy and easy going. To scared and in pain the next, and then he just wasn't there at all. They should be burying him as well, just to get it over with.

Soon the family members started to move forward toward the dark hole where they would bend and throw a handful of dirt down on top of the casket. After that they made their ways back down the hill and toward the church once again. Back to their cars and lives.

Aiden's parents, with dirty brown hands, came over to speak to him. Aiden's mother was a tall, thin, and beautiful woman with long dark blonde hair and greyish blue eyes. She had a few freckles and her skin was sun kissed. Aiden's father was even taller with a well build frame and just looked like he had a lot of power with  dark brown hair and brown eyes to match. He had a decent tan, though it was probably just from him walking in the sun rather than Aiden's mother who probably went  to a tanning bed regularly or to the beach.

"Andrew.." Aiden's mother stated, making Andrew look up. "You were Andrew's closest friend. And we wanted to thank you for that." She nodded, wiping her eyes with a white handkerchief. "He spoke so fondly of you and you were always there for him... and not for what he had. We cannot express our gratitude." She didn't look like she was going to be able to say anymore without sobbing so Aiden's mother led her away gently.

Andrew watched them go, hoping that they'd be ok too. Aiden was their only son and he was pretty sure that they were too old for other children and that she had gotten very sick having Aiden.  

Eric frowned lightly watching Aiden's parents make their way towards them. He took a deep breath listening Aiden's mother's words and for some reason it only made him cry even more than the ceremony did. He bit his lip gently as he focused on the ground as the woman spoke to Andrew. After wards he sighed and gently rubbed Andrew's back.

"You want to stay here for a few minutes or are you ready to go?" he asked curiously his tail curling around himself. He didn't know how long he could stand there. It was still pretty tough even though Aiden had been burried and officially it was over, but it wasn't really over. There was always the visits to his grave at random times during the year that were secial such as his birthday. One never forgets their loved one when they p*censored* away. You don't just burry them and move on. Dates haunt you, days seem to go by longer. It was a different place.

[[ lol I just reread it and Andrew was his own best friend apparently XDDD I was.... out of it or something ROFL ]]

Andrew sighed. He wasn't ready to leave yet, knowing that once he did that everything was over. There would be nothing holding him to Aiden except for memories that would soom dim and fade. He already couldn't remember the last thing he'd said to Aiden before the wreck other than telling him that he didn't want to drive and thus taking his own best friend's life.

"You go.." Andrew responded to Eric, glancing at him from Aiden's parents. Think he looked back to te grave site, they'd start to fill it in soon.

-

Seth couldn't seem to make his own quiet tears stop. He really did feel for Andrew, and Aiden's parents. There wasn't always an advantage of being able to read people like books. He'd stood here and read everyone at this service, some were here for Aiden and some fore others. Some for show and didn't feel a thing and some like Aiden's parents who had just buried their baby.

( I think I know what i'm gong to do so if Andrew want's to get all huggy, Eric's still around. ^.^ )

Eric's ears twitched listening to Andrew's two short words. He simply nodded and wrapped his arms around him for a breif moment as he kissed his hair. "Stay as long as you need Andrew. I'll be in the church" he whisered before releasing him and acrtually forcing himself to turn away from his student's side. He took long slow strides back to the church pausing at the steps as he looked back at Andrew for a split moment. He would leave when he was ready and right now he needed to accept that his friend was gone.

Eric turned and went up the stairs and into the church. It was empty besides the preacher who had somehow made his way back indoors when the crowd dearted. The man turned and noticed Eric before nodding solumly and addressing him. "Can I help you with anything?" He asked pausing his movements up front.

Eric's ears drooped forwrd as he thougth for a moment. "God has plans for all his people I know that but what's the point in hurting them this bad and expecting them to just be okay after it. Why pain versus peace....I dont understand his philosophy but he must have something in his head to do this to us" Eric spoke actually sitting down in one of the pews. (I think I spelled that wrong. >.< )

The preacher frowned and walked over to Eric sitting next to him. "He loves all his children and he works in mysterious ways. No one can fully understand what he has in plan. You just have to believe in him and stay loyal" The preacher frowned reaching up and placing a hand on Eric's shoulder who seem to shrug it off. "I don't fall in God's plan. I never did since I was a kid. My sins can not be forgiven acording to the bible and you. I'm not talking bad about him or anything it's just....I don't belong so please, don't talk to me about beleiving in a guy who doesn't deem me worthy" Eric spoke causing the preacher to stand up and sigh. "You may be overlooking things.... But I do hope you and your family have peace after these hard times" The preacher said turning away from Eric and heading towards the back of the church leaving Eric alone who was stairing up at the large cross on the back wall.

Tears came to his eyes as he finially was able to just cry and let all he'd been bottling up inside out. He couldn't have just unleashed everything at the funneral persession and didn't really want Andrew to see his lit teacher breaking down but here, in the church alone he could do so. Sobs overtook him as he glared at the cross not understanding anything about their so called God. He didn't know why such a man would take Aiden away from Andrew then turn around and take his father, yet when he had his mother from a few years back. Who else would the merciful god take without permission to screw up their lives?

Eric's fist seemed to clench shut as his foster boy's face came into his mind. The brutality in his death and the funneral tha the couldn't bring himself to attend. It seemed everywhere he went someone died or there was greif, sorta like Andrew.  That was anouther reason the tears overtook him. How could someone let a child, a mere child go through all that pain and torture just for people to beleive there was a plan for it. "Fools...." he soke softly bitting his bottom lip.

Andrew stayed after Eric left by the grave site with Seth standing next to him until they started to fill it in. At that time he trned away, he didn't think that he could stnad there anymore and watch. That was all he could take before he would make a fool of himself in grief.

He turned away, though he didn't move, and looked down the hill toward the people that had arrived for the serivce climbing into their cars and pulling away. Some were still some hainging around the parking lot, talking to one another from small to large groups. 

Andrew didn't see Eric amungst any of the groups nor was he by the car, so he just figured that he had gone into the church or something to wait. He'd look for him there but right now Seth was trying for his attention. He turned to the boy next to him who had been there for... what had to be the longest period he'd been quiet since Andrew had come to know him.

"...Seth?" he asked, his voice hoarse from not talking and crying. Seth's ears twitched at his name but he didn't look at him for a few seconds after that. his mind was obviously somewhere else. But he did finally turn to him, ears perked. "Andrew...?" He asked curiously. Andrew frowned, his eyebrows pulling together and ears swiveling slightly.

"Did you want something?" Andrew asked and then sniffed. "Oh... yes." He replied, Andrew could tell that he was not himself. he was so quiet and sad looking verses his usual self. Happy and never would stop talking. "I wanted.. to ask you if I could kiss you." He said bluntly, all of the seriousness of the world on his face.

Andrew perked him ears, "Youre asking me?" He asked, usually Seth just did to him as he pleased. Seth smiled though it didn't reach his eyes. "I figured I should at least ask once.." He responded. Andrew didnt know what he was going to say. Seth took his hesitation as an answer and stepped closer to him. "And you have to kiss me back or I'll just do it again."

Seth reached up and kissed Andrew, he kept his hands and his tongue to himself. This was only a test and he pulled away soon after. "You'll feel better soon." He told Andrew, he knew that the pain would never go away. "It woun't hurt this much forever." He said with a nod. "I'm gonna go.." He said and with that he left, leaving Andrew confused and alone on the hill watching him go.

Andrew was upset once again and all he wanted to do now was to leave this place and forget for the day. He headed down the hill and back into the church to find that Eric was, in fact, there. Sitting in one of the many long empty pews of the church. He went to him to find that he was crying. The sight brought even more tears to his eyes, and they spilled over once again but he remained quiet as he came up on him and waited for him to notice him there.

Why didn't he cry back at the service or when Aiden was being buried? He'd certainly composed himself better than Andrew had.  

Eric hadn't heard the church doors open nor the silent footsteps of his student. Tears continued to stream down his face as he mentally cursed their God and his father for putting him through hell most of his life. He also took his own anger out on himself a little bit as he dug his nails into his hand. He should have been there for his foster son nor had he been there for his burial. "Coward..." He whispered, his ears falling back against his skull.

He felt anouther presence and turned to see Andrew which slighlty made him jump. "Andrew..." he spoke but only to have his voice crack in the middle of the boys name. He cleared his throat and quickly brought his hand up wiping away teas trying to compose himself. "I'm.....sorry" he sniffled standing up and unclenching his hands. "You...your ready to go, right?" he asked taking a few deep breaths to compose himself.

He hated the thought of Andrew seeing him crying. He sorta came to the church to hide from the judging eyes of others knowing their comments if they did catch him crying in public. He used the church as a shelter to get away fom the poeple and prying eyes which worked till Andrew came up unexpectidly. He almost got away with no one seeing him cry.

Andrew watched Eric for a moment. He understood the way Eric was feeling right now, wanting to hide away and let his feelings out alone rather than anyone see him crying. It wasn't something you wanted other's to see, it was too personal. And he had often blamed god for his problems.

Blaming it on him that he took his brother away and his father away and made his mother go crazy and bvring strange men home. He'd wondered why, if god loved him so, that he let him go through all of the things that he had to go through on a regular everyday basis. 

And now Eric was doing it. Andrew had been in a dark place since he was a little over 12 and it wasn't a place he would wish for anyone to go. especially not Eric, he was a nice person. At least Andrew thought so. He moved forward without a word or any time to talk himself out of it and wrapped his long arms around Eric. He let his ears droop and his tail wrap around Eric's waitst. 

He knew that this was porbably a surprise for ERic, but the fact of the matter was that they both needed it. 

Eric's ears perked up straight as his tail bristled a little at Andrew's touch. He was actually hugging him. He took a moment to hesitate not really sure how he sould react back, but the fact that Andrew was the one to step forward this time somehow calmed Eric's nerves. The blonde slowly wrapped his arms around Andrew in a protective hug. There was no way he was about to pull away from this one and ruin the moment.

"Andrew...." He whispered just holding the boy as he brought his tail around his small waist. His breathing returned to normal as his ears pulled back. It sorta felt nice to have someone in his arms again and his heart had showed it when it decided to skip a beat. It was unclear to Eric the last time someone willingly put their arms around him into either a relationship embrace or a friendly one.

He took the chance once again to press his lips agaisnt his student's head, a common gesture for him now. Andrew never really reacted to it but to Eric it was a sign of comfort to the boy even though he may not have felt it as one.

( Too bad you can't que in Mr. Jealousy and I wonder how long it will take Andrew to figure out he does sorta like the other team. ^.^For some strange reason I see Eric walkin around the house in a towel. >.<' Donno why. It just popped into my head. lol. )

( Poor Andrew though. Imagine comming out of your room and going into hte kitchen only to see your teacher in a towel prancing around like nothing's wrong. lol. I think i'll do it. ^.^ )

Eric's ears perked forward slightly before sighing. Andrew had thanked him. That was sort of a new. He tilted his head to the side before releasing Andrew and unwrapping his tail from the boys waist. "No need to thank me...It's nothing" he spoke placing his hand on Anrew's cheek for a split secound.

"Anything I do for you it's becaue I want to....Just know that" he spoke softly his ears falling back slightly. A small smile came to his face as he ran his thumb over his student's cheek. "Don't ever thing otherwise" He spoke letting out small sigh.

"You ready to head back to the appartment or do you want to take more time here?" he asked curiously taking the moment to look over at the cross on the wall. His easr drooped slighlty once again before he tore his gaze from the ob
ject back to Andrew. He could dwell later on his thoughts more maybe open up a little bit to Andrew. It would feel better to get a few things off his chest and maybe in return he'd open up. Maybe.

Andrew took his own arms back from around Andrew and his tail. He crossed his arms slightly over his chest and his tail curled up to his side. He didn't want to stay here anymore, he could come back whenever he needed a walk or something. It would be nice to come visit every once in a while, it would make his feel a little closer to Aiden.

"No," He responded, "I want to go home." He said simply, he didn't realize that he'd called Eric's apartment 'home' for the first time. If Eric wanted to stay then of course they could but he didn't want to anymore. He looked around a little, this place was actually a little intimidating in the dark with no one in here but the too of them. But it was quiet and private here too.

[[ Idk XD He's already letting Eric touch and kiss him freely lol Should I make Seth give up on Andrew completely? And Andrew needs to go to military academy now :3 Soon XD ]] 

( Awwww. But where's the fun in the competition in Seth? Unless you want to. Seth is up to you. ^.^  And yeah. Though Eric will be sad slightly hearing he's going into the military. Though that's when I decided he'd go out on a limb and get Andrew a car of his own to get from place to place instead of walking.  <3 And I think i'll bring up that towel thing soon. )

Eric's ears perked slighlty hearing the word 'home' which only caused him to give off a warm smile. Since when did Andrew concider his appartment as home? He didn't even think Andrew liked calling the room he was staying in his own yet. He took a deep breath before nodding. "Alright, Andrew." He said wrapping an arm around the student as he headed towards the church doors.

"When we get back though.....would you like to know a little about me and my past?" He asked curiously his ears and tail drooping ever so slightly. "I mean....If you want to go to bed that's fine just...wanted to ask" He said letting out a soft sigh.

( I fail )

Andrew walked along with Eric. He felt like a little bit of his previous stress and pressure had been takn off of his shoulders by coming here today and attending Aiden's funeral. As painful as if had been, it had also allowed him to think about Aiden instead of sleep everything away and to talk to people that were his own age and generally get out of Eric's place.

He looked at Eric when he mentioned getting to know him, ears perked and eyebrows raised. He thought that he knew everything that he needed to know about Eric, according to the last time he'd tried to get to know about him. "Yeah..." He resopnded, "I'd like that.." He added. It would be nice knowing a little more about the man he was staying with.

[[ I was thinking that Seth would give on trying to get Andrew as a mate, but he tries to become Andrew's friend instead X3 Meaning him coming over to Eric's and staying in Andrew's room and being in Eric's house in general o3o Maybe making Eric nervous or mad lol idk thats what I was thnking

and you dont fail XD ]] 

( Haha. Seth comming to his house would kind of get him on the edge of his nerves. He wouldn't trust him at all. Oh god. Lets hope that day Eric isn't traveling around in a towel. lol. See eric walking around all humming a tune as he's doing something then Andrew and Seth come in and freeze at th door spotting Eric only to have eric turn beet red. *snickers*

And sorry. I skipped a little bit for when they were in the appartment. Not good with awkward car scenes and driving home in general. lol. )

It was a pretty quiet ride as Andrew and Eric arrived back at the appartment. Eric made his way into his home leaving the door open as he motioned to the couch. "I'll be back, Andrew" He spoke heading back into his room. He disapeared in the closet before pulling out a pretty large box and photo album. He turned back around and entered the living room setting the things on the table. "My life so far condenced into two things. A box and an album. Trust me I won't be all weird and creepy about it....." he frowned slightly.

He flipped open the album revealing pictures of himself when he was a teenager. "High school...." he smiled looking down upon the younger version of him with long blonde hair and two silver rings in his ear and four wrapped around his tail. He was leaning against a locker laughing at something. "I was popular. Dabled in music back then...Not much before that though. I was a regular kid...." he spoke running his finger over the page gently before sighing and slipping the box off the table onto the floor till he was ready for it.

"So where do you want to start? Kid, Teen, College?" He asked curiously tapping the edge of the page and looking up at Andrew.

( Awww. ^.^  Though eric will have a hard time accepting that....)

Eric's ear twitched slightly before looking down at the pictures. "Well...I was a normal kid. Nothing too tramatic happened" he shrugged his tail flopping beside him. "My life didn't really pick up till my high school years. I met my best friend as a freshman. He was gay and boy did he know how to pick up the girls. I was sort of jealous though that he'd let something like that go to waste. His name was Reed" Eric smiled remembering his best friend. "We got into a lot... Sophmore year we got into drugs. We tried everything till Reed got hospitalized for overdosing. That's sort of when we backed off those for a while but smoking stuck with me. I still can't kick the habit" He explained flipping a few pages pointing out a tabby cat neko leaning against the wall.

The tabby was in tight pants and his long, quite fluffy, tail curled round his leg. His ears were perked forward with little tuffs on the end. He had them peirced all the way up to his little tuffs too. There was an industrial in the tip of the tabby's left ear with some sort of charm hanging from the middle of the bar. Chains hung off his pans as his shirt was slighlty ripped in what looked like a fight, but there were no marks on his exposed chest. He was grinning with his tongue sticking out which revealed his tongue ring. Eric couldn't help but laugh at the picture. Beside him you could see smoke from an unknown source beyond the picture. "That's Reed....He's a lot more delecate than he looks I give you that. And that puff of smoke you see beside him....is me. I was high just beyond that photograph" he chuckled his tail curling around him as memories came back to him.

"After Reed overdosed we got into the more normal crowd. We practiced sports, which we sucked at. And actually became quite social with the football team. Of course that was Reed's favorite subject.I was more interested in the cheerleaders so I happily went along with him. that lasted not even into the beginning of our junior year. In the middle of our Junior year, Reed actually got inot music and his education more than just fooling around. He got into singing as he forced the guitar upon me. I mean, I enjoyed it and learned a few tricks from him. We had a blast. He stayed in that area though as I sort of broke away from his shadow....I got into academics finially deciding I wanted to help teach but that didn't stop me from partying with him and going to all his gigs" He smiled flipping the page to a concert with the fluffy tabby on stage looking like he was rocking out to some random song. His tail that used to be normal tabby colors, each stripe was dyed a different color and his hair had highlights of green, blue, and red.

Andrew found himself interested in everything that Eric was saying and the pictures that he had. There were a lot of them and each of them showed how different Eric was when he was in High School with his friends. He actually sounded a lot like himself and Aiden. Andrew got out of the drugs and drinking... all of that when he transfered High Schools. He smirked at a few of the pictures, his ears perked.

But something about Eric's story that he didn't understand was the fact that he was or said he was interested in girls. You can't just... change that could you? Then again, he'd never wondered, asked, or found out about it himself. And he wasn't, in a million years, about to ask eric about it.

[ I fail ); ] 

( No you don't cause you sorta brought up the point I was getting too. lol )

Eric's smile lessened as he flipped the page over studying the photos. One in particular stood out which had little hearts around the heart shaped photo. Within the photgraph there was Eric standing in what seemed to be a crowd making out with anouther brown haired neko boy. Eric's body seemed to stiffen as he let out a small sigh. "I forgot about this photo" he spoke his ears twitching and drooping slightly.

"Junior year as I said changed as I focused on school and Reed went into music. It wasn't until my senior year that my life seemed to spiral into a whole new direction. One that i'm not proud of....I mean drugs and partyig is only natural as a teen. Everyone does it but senior year and up is part of my life that doesn't really fall in the category of normal" he spoke his tail flopping beside him. "So junior year Reed and I split, I broke away from his shadow but Senior year, the beginning he took me back under his wing. He took me to bars and exposed me to his whole world. I mean it was so different from the one that I lived in..." He explained only to tap the corner at the book not realyl sure how to explain his words.

"There was a gig, Reed took me to. I noticed all guys there but didn't really pay any attention. That was until Reed smirked down at me in the middle of his little show and the songs switched to a rather slow song. I noticed the boys paring off leaving me alone in the middle of the dance. From the corner of my eye, I notice  this boy walking over to me. I thought he was just going to talk so I greeted him but he didn't say anything back but lean forward and press his lips to mine. I was shocked and I just froze. I didn't push him away though. He ended the kiss, thanked me and walked off. I was confused as hell, but it turns out that he was dared by Reed to make out with me. I was so pissed when I found out. I yelled at Reed that night and called him so many degrading names. I hurt him physically and mentally. We never spoke after that night. He went his own way and I went mine......" Eric frowned.

"That boy in the picture i'm kissing, was my first kiss. The next few weeks at school everything seemed upside down. My interests changed. I was no longer trying to hit on girls. The only thing that really stayed in my mind was the kiss and the little knots I felt in my stomach at the time. Just thinking about it those few weeks caused even more knots. I found myself stairing at guys in my clas.ses wondering how they kissed, watchin them with their girlfriends......I didn't understand at first. I was so confused and it irritated me that something of that nature would happen to me. I thought something was wrong in my head. Then....it was just like everything clicked one day. I wanted to go back to Reed and ask him so many things. Let him teach me the feelings I had at the time. I skipped last period and jumped in my car to go meet him, talk to him. Sadly though before I could even apologize to him, he was moving outta state. I watched the moving van pull off from his drive way from my car. He didn't even say goodbye and it hit me hard. I was alone to figure out what I was going through....." He sighed bitting his bottom lip.

"I finially did figure out my feelings and the fact that I was following the normal kids goin out with the girls. When that boy kissed me it just felt right. Those prickles of love or excitment you feel when you know in your heart that the other person is just right for you is what I got when he kissed me. It didn't really click though until later the week that I was gay. That I found more interest in guys than I found in girls. I experemented and found my gutt instict right. I learned everything by myself. I never really thought about comming out to my parents...Until the end of my senior year. Things got rocky after that and that's when reality hit me hard." He explained looking at Andrew for a breif moment before fliping the page only to hit empty pages. There was nothing else to look at in the photo album. No more happy memories were depicted on the white sheets of paper.

Andrew's ears were still perked until he reached that one photo then they twitched slightly, surprised and not expecting that picture to come up. But it sort of made since. Sort of. that or Andrew was... out of it or something.

But he knew now that at least Eric knew a little of how it felt to lose a friend as close as Aiden was to him. The only difference being that Eric's friend was probably still alive and that if he looked for him then he'd probably find him. Especiall if he was atalented musician.

He looked up at Eric from his picture album, waiting for him to continue and wondering if Eric wanted him to talk about his life. He didn't know if he could, it just wasn't something he'd ever talked to anyone about before and he wasn't sure how to start now. But he's at least give it a try if Eric told him to do so. 

He looked at the clock, it was still early, just past noon. He frowned, they could use a little somwthing. Something fun to take their minds off of everything that had gone on today and the things that have been going on lately. He hesitated only for a moment. He'd only ever gone to this place alone or with Aiden...

"Wanna go somewhere?" He asked, looking back at Eric. He figured that he couldn't not have fun because Aiden was gone, he'd spend the rest of his life sad if he did. 

Eric's ears perked slightly as he turned and focused on Andrew. Did he want to go somehwere? Why had that quetstion hit him as hard as it did. He frowned lightly allowing his tail to fall limp at his side. "Uhh Sure. Any ideas?" He asked shutting the photo album and slipping it on the table. He used his foot to kick the box under the table as well as he turned slightly focusing on his student.

He figured he'd finish his little life story later. Enough was enough for today. High school was it's own little field that lead up to the point in his life right now. His eyes glanced down to the box under the table. His foster's son's information was in there or most of it. The rest were the other foster children inclding Danielle's past. He had kept copies of all his children's files. From the moment they were dropped off to every single parent they'd ever lived with. He'd give away those secrets at a later date.