It had been 3 weeks and 2 days since the last incident. It was the longest they had gone without fighting in the past year! Matt had started to relax. Al hadn't brought home any liquor.. Maybe he was really done this time. Matt didn't even think twice when the front door shut a little harder that day. He was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. He was chatting on the phone with Gilbert. Catching up. Gil had moved a town over a few months back, he had been spent the past year in Germany with his grandfather. Matt still hadn't come to visit and Gil was whining "Come on Matt! Its me! The awesome Gilbert! You gotta come see me next weekend!"

Matt was giggling when Al walked into the kitchen looking irritably at Him. "I'll see what i can do okay Gilly? No promises but i will try and come down next weekend. "

Matts eyes went up to Al who was standing in front of him looking rather upset. "Well i gotta go Gil. I'll call you later!". He hung up the phone and looked up. "Whats wrong Al?"

Al looked around the kitchen pointedly. "Where's dinner?"

Matt blushed. "Oh... i got side tracked i'm sorry" he got up and walked swiftly to the freezer. " Gil called. We haven't talked in a while so we did some catching up. What do you feel like? I could make something or we could just order in."

"Oh yeah" started Al in a tone that made Matts blood run cold "We'll just order in... Ya know with the money i go work for so you can sit here on your ass all day chatting with your precious little Albino whore. Making plans to go fuck him while i sit and write reports like a good little bitch right?!"

Its true Al was the bread winner... Matt had been laid off only 8 months after they moved here and Al had suggested he just stay home for a while. He had chuckled and scruffled Matts head saying "You could be my cute little house husband Mattie" and winked with those big blue eyes making Matt melt...

Matt spun around "Al! You know its not like that! Gils just a friend! I would never..."

It was strange that those same melting blue eyes were now almost a blaze with temper. "Bullshit." Matt walked towards the table. Putting a chair between them. "Bullshit!" He repeated, this time yelling it. "You think your so much better then me don't you?! You always have!"

He pushed the chair. Matt flinched as it crashed Against the tiles with enough force to crack it. "Please calm down Al. I love YOU only you. You know that.. "

Matt backed up but this only caused Al to close in. Matt hit the kitchens island counter. Al was on him in seconds. He grabbed Matts wrists. "Don't you fucking tell me what i know!" Al screamed

Matt could smell the whiskey on his breath. It sent a cold shock through him. Oh why hadn't he paid attention? If he had just looked at Al properly... He would have known he would have been more careful... "Al, please baby... You said... " Matt trailed off. Als eyes told him anything he said would make it worse.

"Don't fucking lie to me Matt!" He pulled him forward slamming him into the counter again. Matts painful cries had no effect. "You're fucking him aren't you?!"

"No, please, I'm not, I wouldn't" Matts voice shook with pain and fear. It got worse.

"You're mine! I don't fucking like it when other people touch my stuff Mattie" he snarled. Matt cringed at his pet name. Als hands moved up to Matts throat and tightened. "No one but me gets to fuck my god damned husband. Do you understand bitch?!"

Matt froze. He could still breathe. It was okay. It was going to be okay. He closed his eyes and the hands squeezed tighter "I said do you fucking understand!?" Als just sick... He just needs help..

Matt couldn't breath. He tried to answer, but only strangled noises escaped past Als hands. A hand pulled off Matts throat and struck him in the side of his face. It's okay... Just another black eye... Just a scarf.. Its fall... He'd say his eye was from hockey. It hit again, the side of his head. He felt dizzy, between his limited oxygen intake and the blows... Al suddenly threw him to the ground. His head bounced off the title with a sickening thunk. Everything was hazy... Something hit his stomach and ribs hard. The pain spread but Matt was too dizzy to react much. He just curled in on himself sobbing.

A large weight was on him and he was rolled onto his back. " Your mine forever Mattie. No one else. " The sharp words hit his ears. "If i can't have you, then i guess forever is over for you."

"Pl-please..." Matts world went black.

2013

Al was late coming home again. At first Matt had just brushed it off. But this was happening more often the not these days. If Matt asked him where he'd been he'd either avoided the question or got defensive. Tonight he wasn't going to put up with this. Sitting at the table with cold dinner he waited. He heard the car pull up and his heart sped up. Al walked into the kitchen "Hey Mattie baby. Did you have a good day?"

Matt glared daggers " Where have you been?"

Instantly Al was instantly defensive" What?! I can't go hang with my work friends? I thought you were my husband not my warden."

But Matt was not falling for this again. " No Al. Your not turning this on me again! Your shift ended 3 hours ago! Where were you? I made dinner. You promised me!" Matt stood up and walked over to Al and smelled his shirt. Alcohol and perfume. "Are you screwing around Alfred?"

This was where it went straight to hell. Al had started yelling. Cursing. Matt had yelled back. Not scared of his temper yet. At least, not until Al had started throwing things. Breaking them on the walls, the floor... eventually Matts face. He told everyone he had fallen down the steps carrying a box of stuff From the attic. The excuses never got much better... But then... People eventually stopped asking...

2014

Matt stayed curled up on the kitchen floor for hours after. Drifting in and out of consciousness. everywhere hurt. Even swallowing and breathing hurt. Of course he hadn't tried to get up yet, so who knows what pain awaited him... He could hear a show blaring in the other room. Matt looked at the table for his phone... It wasn't on the there.. Al probably took it. He was contemplating getting up when the tv shut off... Matt painfully dragged himself to beside the island. Hidden. Al got up and he heard foot steps up the stairs. What time was it? how long had he- 10:39? Al had come home at 6:30... 4 hours... Al hadn't even... Tears sprung to his eyes at the realization of how bad it had gotten... He silently picked himself up after he heard the bedroom door click. Pain shot through him with every movement. His wrists were swelling and bruises started to blossom. His head pounded... Matt gingerly turned around and stood at the island. He held on while the world spun. Then he promptly broken down. Silent sobbing. What happened?! How did his life become this?! Where was the brilliant, sweet man he fell in love with? What did Matt do? This was his fault.. If he had gotten another job. If he had been more understanding... If he hadn't forgotten dinner, if he stopped turning Al down for sex maybe this wouldn't have happened! He stayed like that for another hour. Tears soaking his bruised arms as he buried his head there. He knew what he had to do...

It was 12:30am by the time Matt had quietly crept through the house gathering Necessary things. He had to stop a lot. Letting the world stop swimming. Clothing, medicine... He even located his phone on the floor. The screen was crack, Al must have thrown it, but it still worked. He slid his wedding ring off and looked at it... It slid safely into the pocket of his bag. Matt just wasn't ready to get rid of it yet... Despite everything... Despite the fact that Al didn't seem to care if Matt was okay... Matts heart still clung to his Al .

Matt grabbed the keys to his truck . He opened the front door, jumping as it squeaked. He then closed it behind him with a dry click. He tossed his bag on the passenger seat. Matt hoped Al was sleeping deeply. He waited to make sure his head was level, that everything wasn't about to spin wildly. turning the key nervously the truck roared to life. It felt like an engine was right in between Matts ears. If Al caught him what would happen? He didn't want to go there.. So he threw it into drive and took off down the road.

Matt wasn't sure where he was headed... But he knew he didn't want to stay in the city... That's when he remembered... Gil.. what was that address... He pulled over and looked at his texts. 34 maple way. He typed it into the gps. The voice telling him wear to go was the only break in silence, and it was loud... When he had stopped for the 5th time in a half hour he laid on the seat crying. The lights were too bright, the truck was too loud. Nothing would stop moving! Matts hand was on his phone. He sobbed as the light from it hit. He dialed and put it up to his ear. Ring... Ring... Ring... "Gil?"

Gil swore under his breath the whole ride. Where the hell was his truck?! This is so not awesome... Was he drunk? No.. That wasn't like matt! Matt was a fucking saint. Sure he drank, he could drink Gil under the table! But he was the guy wearing every ones keys in the morning. Something was seriously wrong. Why was he calling Gil? What about Alfred? "Fucking hell!" He yelled to no one.

Okay... Matt had said the highway. Between the small town and the city... How close to the city. He was only 15 minuets out now!... What was that? A truck! Gil drove past and pulled a u-turn on the nearly deserted highway. He pulled up behind the truck and flew out of his car. It was too dark to see in the truck cab. He yanked the door handle and the car door flew open turning on the interior light Matt was laying on the seat, he was covered in bruises that were just starting to form. His eye was swollen and he had blood in his hair and ear... " Holy fuck Matt! are you okay?! " No movement. " Matt! Wake up and answer me!"

See! I promised some Gil! guess there's a new hero in town Al.