A/N: This is one of my favorite stories that I’m currently working on. It was originally one long story, but for the purpose of trying to hook people in, I’ve broken it up into chapters. Warnings: Yaoi (m/m), violence, implied rape

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Chapter One: A Thief by Nature

Van tried not to back away as his master came closer. He honestly tried. His body faltered ever so slightly however as the man reached out to his face.

“You know what will happen if you come back empty handed,” Eric stated, caressing the scar on the younger boy’s cheek. “You wouldn’t want me to have to punish you again, now would you?”

The heavy scent of nicotine on Eric’s breath was punishment enough for Van. In truth the room itself, rarely didn’t reek of tobacco, and that alone did wonders for his asthma. “No sir- I mean master…” Van responded shakily.

Eric’s lips latched on to Van’s forcibly. He then bit Van’s lower lip, which extracted a whimper of pain from the boy. Blood spilled from his lip and Eric gladly sucked that blood up before brutally forcing his tongue into Van’s mouth.

Even though Van truly wanted to resist the intrusion, he knew full well that if he did, it would only mean more torment. It seemed that whenever he fought Eric, even in the slightest way, he only ended up getting violated even more, and in worse ways. He felt sickened that this was what he had been reduced to, someone’s toy, but at the moment he had no other choice but to live through the hell.

After seemingly hours of torment to Van, Eric removed his tongue from the boy’s mouth and stepped back. “Perhaps we’ll have to continue when you come back.” He commented ruefully and then licked his lips in delight. “And you will come back. For you know that wherever you might go, I will find you.”

At first Van’s reaction was to bite his lip out of nervousness. But because of the taste of his own blood in his mouth, he realized that biting the now swollen lip would not make him feel any better. He bowed his head slightly, and not wanting to make the same mistake twice, he carefully planned out his next sentence. “Yes master, I will return and as promised I will bring you what you wish.”

Eric grinned, knowing he had finally broken in the boy, his puppet. “Very well then,” He responded and then walked away, giving Van the signal that it was time to leave.

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The chill of the winter air hit Van’s overheated flesh instantly once he had exited his ‘home’. Wanting so desperately to get out of the building, he had forgotten to grab a coat. All he had on was a basic pair of jeans and a lightweight long sleeve tee-shirt. Needless to say twenty-degree weather in this apparel was not in the least bit comfortable. But there was no way that he was going back in there, just to grab a coat.

After coming to the conclusion that he was not going to get any warmer by just standing there, he headed towards the center of town. In order to get back in that house and still be standing two seconds later, he needed to find money. Lots of money. The previous time he had brought back what he believed to be a large some of money, one hundred and fifty dollars, it wasn’t enough for Eric, and Van was punished.

He shuddered at the thought of what awaited him if he doesn’t bring back enough this time. After all, he still had scars from the last time he was punished. Burn marks to be precise. For some reason punishment and burning wax do not go in the same category. It truly seems more like torture than punishment.

After walking a block, he reached the center of town. He began to scout out the best options for him to get large sums of money. Eric had trained him well in pick pocketing, and even though Van truly hated the thought of stealing, Eric insisted that he learned how to steal or he would be put to work in other ways. And the other ways were much more painful than stealing was.

Van’s eyes fell on a man at a nearby corner shop. He had jet-black hair and clear blue eyes. His clothes appeared to be from a designer’s brand, and the most important feature, there was an obvious bulge in his right pant pocket.

It was then that Van went into auto pilot. He walked towards the man and then mistakenly bumped into him, and all the while pilfered the man’s wallet. “I’m sorry sir, I apologize for bumping into you like that.” Van commented as he swiftly put the wallet in his back pocket.

The man just stared at first, which in truth unnerved Van. No one had ever quite stared at him in that way before. “Oh, it’s all right, no harm done.” He responded and then went towards the front of the corner store to make his purchase.

‘Shit!’ He thought as he began to walk away hurriedly. Had he known the man was about to buy something, he never would’ve tried to steal his wallet.

“Hey you wait a minute!” Van instantly recognized the man’s voice and began to dash away. “Hey kid wait up!” Another pair of footsteps was heard coming quickly behind him.

‘Damn it all, I’m not a freakin’ kid!’ He responded mentally as he entered a nearby alleyway. Much to his dismay however, he found it to be a dead end. He turned quickly to dash out of the alleyway, but the taller man stood at the entrance blocking his path.

Not looking the slightest bit winded, the man walked towards the thief. “Look kid, just give me the wallet and I-”

“I’m not a kid! Damn it!” Van yelled, giving up and just tossed the wallet, more like threw it, at the man. “Just take your damn wallet. I don’t want it anyway, nothing good in it.” He commented and then leaned back against the brick wall that had closed of his escape.

The man pocketed his wallet, not bothering to even look if it was his. “You know something, it’s sad that kids like you exist.” He commented and then straightened his disheveled jacket. “Honestly you should do something with you life other than screw around.” He finished and then left the area.

“Damn it, what the hell would you know?!” Van yelled after the man, tears filling his eyes quickly. “Some people just don’t have…” He quickly lost the vigor to try to argue with the wind and he fell into a seated position. “Some people just don’t have a choice…” He looked at the small amount of money he had taken out of the man’s wallet, and knew that it wasn’t enough.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” A rough voice questioned from above him. “What are you doing out here all alone?” He asked in almost a sarcastic tone.

Knowing full well what was awaiting him when he looked up, he swallowed slowly. Not to his surprise he found three teenage boys, no more like punks. No doubt they were all members of the local gang, and that they all wanted the same thing.

“Aww look at him, he’s crying.” A different voice commented.

The third boy grinned. “Maybe we should cheer him up.” He commented and then licked his lips.

Quickly Van stood up and wiped whatever remained of his tears away. “Get lost you bastards!” He responded to there taunting. “I’m not worth your time.”

The three boys glanced at each other and then back towards their prey. “I believe you are worth our time…” Then the three boys cornered him, and the torment began.

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