A Tangled Battle Tendency

The Tea Is Boiled And Ready To Be Served

AN: YAY!!! Okay, so little timeline thing. A little before the squealer from the bar arrived with the guards and stuff, Kars showed up and was going to get Joseph but saw the guards and hid. Eisidisi and Wammu were with the guards when they showed up, but they escaped and ran after Caesar. Loggins, the horse showed up a little after everyone else showed up. Caesar and Joseph were in the tunnel for 15 to 20 minutes before the guards found it and started chasing them. The chase only took, like, 8 minutes and they were in the mine for 7. The water was coming in really fast so it filled pretty quick. When they break out, they have like close to 3 or 4 hours of daylight left. Alright cool! Now back to the gay love birds.

~Chapter Ten~

Caesar, Joseph, and Smokey all hauled themselves out of the water and onto the grass of the bank. Caesar's head shot up as soon as he regained enough air in his lungs to form semi-coherent thoughts. "His hair. I-i-it glows. Very bright colors very bright. It glows. YOUR HAIR GLOWS!!!!" Joseph just looked at him with a sheepish smile before blowing his mind even further, "Caesar, it doesn't just glow," Caesar just looked at Smokey with a disbelieving face.

After a while where Caesar just sat there in his soggy clothes and Joseph started to gather firewood did he snap out of his stupor. He stood and quickly built a fire while stripping off his jacket. When he looked up, he saw Jojo with a cloakful of assorted berries and wild vegetables. When they sat down Joseph looked at him and said, "If I show you something, do you promise not to freak out?" Caesar just looked at him.

"Uuuuhhhh yes. You have my word that I will not freak out," Joseph gave a small smile before gently grabbing his injured hand and wrapping it with his hair. He winced when Caesar made a grunt of pain. "Okay, remember you promised."

"Flower gleam and glow

Let your power shine

Make the clock reverse

Bring back what once was mine

Heal what has been hurt

Change the fates design

Save what has been lost

Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine"

Caesar was in shock the gentle glow had startled him, but how heavenly Joseph's voice sounded startled him even more. This boy had to be an angel with his good looks, likeable personality, and heavenly voice. He was pretty sure his mouth was hanging open and the high pitched squeaking noise was coming from him when he unwrapped his hand and found it good as new. He looked up and made eye contact with Jojo who immediately said, "Don't freak out!" "Whaaaa- I'm not freaking out! No! Not me! So, uhhh, how long have you been able to do that?"

Yep, he was an angel. "My whole life I guess. I don't remember a time where I wasn't able to do it. My hair only works when I sing that song. When I was a baby, someone tried to cut off a piece of my hair and it turned brown and lost it's power." He pushed away some of his hair to reveal a short brown strand. It was then that Caesar noticed something dark on Jojo's wrist. He realised that the water must have pushed his sleeves up a bit. He gently took Joseph's wrist in his hand.

As soon as he touched his wrist, Joseph tensed up. At first he thought it was because he didn't know what Caesar was doing, but then the dark spot got bigger and bigger until it bloomed into an angry bruise shaped like a handprint. Caesar was shocked, then angry. "Who did this to you?" He seethed. Jojo looked away and mumbled, "My father," Caesar reeled back with a look of disgust on his face. "His father did that to him?"

"Joseph. Did he hurt you anywhere else?" To his horror, Joseph replied with, "It was my fault to begin with! It doesn't matter. I shouldn't have pushed him like that." "Jojo, that's not what I asked you. I asked if he hurt you anywhere else." Joseph grimaced before slowly rolling up his other sleeve to reveal fingerprints wrapped around his wrist.

Caesar choked back a sob. He looked at Joseph's shame filled face and pushed some of his anger aside. He gently tilted Jojo's face up until he was looking him in the eye. "Jojo, whatever happened was not your fault. Just because you did something wrong doesn't mean you should be punished. I mean yes, but nowhere near this extreme. I need you to understand that this is not something people do to each other, especially not parents. In no way shape or form did you deserve this, I'm so sorry this happened. I won't let anyone hurt you again, I promise."

Joseph was shocked. How did this man, who he had met just a day prior, show him more love, compassion, and concern in a day. Than his father- Kars, had shown him in a lifetime? He barely noticed the stream of hot tears gliding down his face until Caesar's gentle hands wiped them away. Jojo lunged forward and pulled Caesar into a tight embrace as he sobbed into his shoulder.

He was so confused! Kars had always told him how cruel and wicked people were, but here was this man, hell, even the people in the bar! Were so much kinder than Kars had ever been! He forced himself to stop thinking and just held onto Caesar. His anchor through all the madness. The man who had freed him. The man who had promised to protect him from harm. The man he had most definitely fallen in love with.

AN: Sorry this is so short. Please tell me any feedback you have. I am lonely and need hugs.