so here's my first story in a WHILE. Sorry I haven't been writing much, but this came to me over the holiday... It's AU. and it's Butcher x Travis... so... Yeah...


Travis Butcher story flashback

"Hey Travis," The Butcher said, sitting up in the motel bed they were sharing for the night.

"Hm?" The drowsy trucker moaned, half asleep.

"I remember something."

"What is it?" Travis said, turning over to face him.

I remember when I met you." Said the Butcher. "I was seventeen, and you were probably about eleven or twelve. It was summer here and you had come with your father to visit your mother in the asylum. The town was smaller back then, and the cult wasn't very big. You walked into the store and I was working the register for my dad. He was the town's favorite butcher, and he had a good reputation. I worked for him for the summer to make some money for college while I didn't have school. I was trying to prove to my dad that I could be mature, and that I could handle myself and make money. That's when I first saw you."

"Was I cute?" The trucker said with a smirk.

"Adorable." Butcher replied.

"Pedophile." Travis quipped. Lightly smacking his arm.

"Yeah, well you see my problem then. I couldn't just go up and talk to you, because I was supposed to be working. Well, your dad came in and looked over the options before ordering to my dad. I was still distracted by you. You were so innocent, but you really weren't very healthy looking. You carried around an inhaler for asthma I guess, and you were very skinny. You looked at some of the things on the wall like the hooks and you started bawling. I guess you really were a bit squeamish. Your dad told you too settle down and kept ordering, and I took this as an opportunity to come and talk to you. You were holding back tears when I came over, so I took you outside while our parents were talking. It was really warm and I had a bit of spare change so I took you to the ice cream parlor next door. I think people thought you were my little brother. I got you some ice cream and we sat on the stoop outside my dad's waiting. We probably stayed there for about twenty minutes. We talked about anything really, well; you did because I almost never talked to people... But I did to you. You talked about how you loved visiting the town because everything was so beautiful, you loved the lake. Oh how I wanted to take you there. Your smile was like magic. Then I did something stupid. I leaned over and I hugged you."

"Why is that stupid?"

"Well," Butcher sighed "you started blushing faintly. So adorably. And then you leaned in and gave me one too. My face probably went beet red. Suddenly, there was a little 'ahem' from behind us and both your dad and my dad were standing in the doorway. Your dad took you off to your motel and my dad took me inside."

"He hit me so hard. He said he had never been more disappointed in me. I had proved I wasn't mature at all. That was the day your dad died. I remember you stayed in that room till morning. Just waiting for your dad to wake up. When I heard that story I cried for hours, just thinking of you. How you must have felt. My dad hated me but I still couldn't even think of how life would have been without him. Without anyone to lean on anymore, and at your age…"

"I suppose you stayed in an orphanage for a while. I wanted to adopt you so badly. I told dad that he needed to adopt you but the moment he heard it was you, he just told me to go to my room. Well, the funeral was a week later. I stood at the edge of the cemetery just watching. I wanted to say anything to you, I wanted to come over and hug you, to hold you. To make you feel all right."

"Why didn't you?"

"My dad was there, but that didn't stop me forever. That night my dad sent me on a grocery run. I hurried and got the groceries fast so that I could hurry to where you were staying for the time. The first thing I did when I saw you was I gave you probably the biggest hug I've ever given to anyone. You said you wanted to talk so I followed you outside for a bit. You told me all about how you couldn't understand anything anymore. How you were really sad, but couldn't put anything in words. I just nodded. I remembered feeling that way when my mom had died. I couldn't take not seeing your smile, I would have given anything to see it. So I did. Just as a tear rolled down your cheek I kissed you, full on. I then turned to you and said the first thing that I had ever said to you. 'I love you, and I'll protect you. I promise'.

"Butcher..."

"I know, it was silly back then but I-" Butcher was cut off by Travis kissing him suddenly.

"It wasn't silly it was adorable, and sweet, and everything that I never heard from my parents…" Travis whispered into his ear before nodding to continue.

"There's not much more to it actually. My dad walked up checking to make sure I hadn't gotten lost and saw me walking with you, thank god he hadn't seen me kiss you. Well, he took us both home, drove you to where you were staying and then locked me in my room and told me that if he ever saw me with you again, he would disown me. You left the week after, you were going to go stay with your father's parents or something. I was a bit crushed to see you go, and I thought I'd never see you again. I never got into college because the cult took over that following summer. I kept waiting for you to come back. The cult took me in and raised me to be an exterminator, using my knowledge of meat, preservation, and general use of knives. I thought I'd never see you again, but then who should I see while I'm doing one of my extermination missions but a lost trucker. I was going to go after you but then I looked and I saw you. I saw your brilliant grey-blue eyes, and still had the same adorably baby face... No offense."

Travis nodded.

"And you know it from there."

"Well I think your story was adorable, and that I wish I could go and tell my twelve year old self to take a picture of you. I'm sure you were amazingly handsome."

I'm not handsome, I never was, and I never will be. The beatings didn't help… but I tried. But then I had to go and try to save a girl from a burning down house and we all know how THAT turned out" Butcher said, tapping the mask lying on the bedside table, "so my good looks didn't stay."

"Maybe..." Travis said turning to look Butcher square in the face. As he focused his face lit up and a little blush crept through before he quickly took Butcher into a kiss. "Your eyes are still the same strong eyes. I remember those, and you still have your powerful brow and your square jaw. Yep, you're that hunk I met when I was a kid all right. I had a crush on you well... forever. I always held you as a standard, but... now that I've actually met you again, I've realized that you're beautiful, just for being the strong Butcher you are."

"Travis,"

"Hmm?" Butcher took him into another kiss.

"I love you, and I'll protect you. I promise." Butcher whispered into his ear, throwing his arms around him in an embrace.

"Oh Butcher." Travis whispered before they kissed again, and entwined each other beneath the blankets before drifting into sleep in each other's arms.


R&R would be REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciated.

Travis and the Butcher copyright Konami