CHAPTER X

Toris looked to the person, the familiar-like face registering in his mind. His heart nearly stopped, but it soon picked up the pace again. For a second there, he thought it might have been Matthew, but those sky blue eyes, along with the shorter blonde hair, proved that it wasn't. Just who was this guy, and how did he know his name? "…Sorry, do I know you?" Toris inquired, clearly uneasy with how this stranger had called out to him.

"I-I'm sorry," Alfred sputtered, unable to speak coherently, "it-it's just, just- you! And Matt!"

The Lithuanian's eyes lit up immediately. "…You know Matt?"

"Y-Yeah, he's been living with me for, for like over a month and a half, and- and, you know, I can call him up if you want."

"C-Could you do that?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, just hold on." Alfred whipped out his phone, rapidly dialing Elizaveta's number and slapping it to his ear.

After a few rings, the call went through, and he heard Elizaveta ask, "Hello?"

"Eliz, it's Al. You- You won't believe it. We found Toris."

"What?" she shrieked, catching the attention of Matthew, who had been trying to sleep on the couch. At one point, he'd managed to get away and jerk-off, but despite his fatigue, her shout perked his ears.

"Can you find Matt and put him on the phone?"

"O-Of course," Elizaveta stuttered, turning to the boy, who stared at her curiously from the sofa. "Matt, Al's on the phone."

She passed off the phone to him, observing how he cradled it near his ear and softly spoke, "H-Hello?"

"There's someone here who wants to talk to you," Alfred informed him, letting Toris take the phone from his hands.

"M-Matt, it's me, T-Toris."

Elizaveta watched the inquisitive expression on his face change to shock, his body trembling slightly. His widened eyes closed as he broke into sobs. "T-T-Toris!" he wailed, "O-Oh my G-God! Y-Y-You're alive! You're alive!"

On the other end, Toris wept too, crying, "Matt, M-Matt, you're safe! My G-God, you're safe! Thank God!"

The two cried together, their emotions a complex blend of the relief and sadness they knew all too well. Toris composed himself enough to ask Alfred if he could see Matthew, which was granted. He handed the phone back to the American, letting the flamboyant blonde hold him close as a form of comfort. "Matt," Al addressed him, "I want you to stay there. Gil and I are going to drive Toris back to the house so you can see him, okay?"

"Y-Yes," Matthew answered. "Al?"

"Yeah?"

"Th-Thank you."

Alfred blinked in surprise, smiling as he replied, "Anytime. I'll see you soon. Bye."

"Bye."

Hanging up, Al returned his attention to the group before him. "All right, I didn't get to officially introduce myself, but I'm Alfred, and this is Gilbert." He extended his hand to the other two.

"A-As you know, I'm Toris," the Lithuanian introduced himself, shaking Al's hand. "This is Feliks."

He gestured toward the feminine blonde. Feliks looked away warily, somewhat hiding behind Toris as he quickly exchanged cash with the farmer for the cucumber in his hand. "Toris, we are so using this for facials tonight, like, seriously to the max."

Toris simply nodded, knowing how shy his friend was with people he didn't know, not that he was the most extroverted person himself. It was amazing how loud and outgoing he became once he opened up. He would be comfortable soon, so the Lithuanian focused his mind elsewhere. Finally, after weeks of fearing the worst, he would be reunited with Matthew.

"Do you guys want to finish up some shopping before we go?" Alfred asked.

"It's okay," Toris answered. "We can come back another time. Right, Feliks?" Now it was the Polish boy's turn to silently nod.

"All right, let's go to the car then," Gilbert asserted, twirling his car keys around a finger. As they walked back to the parking lot, he asked Alfred, "You sure you don't need to buy anything first?"

"Yeah, I'm not gonna restock the fridge, but I doubt Dad will mind once he finds out we found Toris. He'd probably agree that this calls for a celebration, so we'll just get take-out."

Gilbert disarmed his car, pressing the "unlock" button. Alfred took the passenger seat as the others climbed into the back. Putting the key in ignition, Gil brought the engine to life and the convertible roared out of the lot.

They all sat there in an awkward silence, no one knowing how to start the conversation. Feliks hummed a Lady GaGa song. At last, Toris spoke. "…How's Matt doing?"

"P-Pretty good recently," Alfred replied. "The first few weeks, he wasn't doing so well, but he's healing. He's been so worried about you, though. We've searched all over town for you."

"We totally tried looking for Matt," Feliks stated, absentmindedly twirling his shoulder-length hair, "but we, like, didn't know where to look."

"…I assume you know how we got separated?" Toris inquired.

"…Yeah," Alfred said, remembering the pained look on Matthew's face once it all came back, "I know."

"For me, it's pretty hazy. Two guys slapped a cloth with this choking chemical smell over my face, and the next thing I knew, I was in Feliks's apartment."

"My, like, total bastard neighbors were dragging you outside my door in the hallway, so I totally jumped in and said I'd call the police if they didn't, like, leave you alone. They're total junkies, and it would totally suck to get caught, so they, like, did, and I took you in."

"Right. So when I woke up, I had no idea how I got here or where Matt and I had been. I didn't even know if he got away." Toris stopped there, looking to Al in the front seat, who was sadly gazing out the window. "…He didn't, did he?"

"…No," Al resolved the question. "No, he…he didn't. He just…ran into an alley and…it's not pretty after that."

"…My god," Toris breathed as he placed his head in his hands. "God, he was raped, wasn't he? Oh god, this is all my fault."

"It's so not!" Feliks retorted. "Don't forget they were trying to rape you too! Like, what bastards! I mean, I knew they were a bunch of potheads, but rape? I should kick those dicks in their dicks, those total dicks! "

"Feliks, It was my idea to go into the bar that night. I was tired and I wasn't thinking straight and now..."

"…Well, you could always charge them, right?" Gilbert asked, deciding to break into the conversation. "You know, call the police?"

"Ha, you're totally kidding, right?" Feliks countered, smirking with half-closed eyes. "Like they'd seriously care. They, like, never come into my part of town, and if they do, it's 'cause they're doin' illegal stuff. 'Sides, it's not like they'd ever listen to us."

"'Us'?" Gil questioned.

"Y'know, whores," the Pole bluntly clarified.

"What?" Alfred inquired, unsure that he'd heard him right.

"Feliks!" Toris chastised, "How many times have I told you to be careful how you talk?"

"Oh, please Toris, they've spent time with Matt. I'm sure they're desensitized by now, like seriously."

The Lithuanian was now clutching his own brown locks. "Yeah, but your situation and mine are completely different!"

"Let me get this straight," Gilbert declared, "you're a hooker? For real?"

"Hey, it's a living," Feliks scoffed. "You can, like, think what you want, but I totally don't care."

Alfred just stared at him, baffled beyond his wildest beliefs. "…I don't understand."

"Honey, what's to understand?"

"How can you possibly live like that out of choice, when you've seen what's happened to Matt and Toris?"

Feliks's complacent expression gradually changed to a sad smile. "Al, huh? You've, like, had a good life, right? I'm sure you know that not everyone's as lucky as you." Toris, who had been sitting next to him uncomfortably, gently took the Pole's hand in his, his eyes focused on the window."

Deciding to leave it at that, Alfred closed his mouth and let silence overtake the car again. Feliks went back to humming a tune as Toris slowly stroked his hand. When the convertible pulled into Al's driveway, the Lithuanian's heart started to pound again in anticipation. The four stepped out of the vehicle and walked around to the front of the house. Alfred remembered he hadn't brought his keys with him, so he knocked on the door instead.

Peering through the paneled windows outlining the door, he grinned as he saw Matthew jump up from the couch and sprint to the door. The boy's hand fumbled with the key ring because he was shaking so much. When he finally wrenched the door open, Al stepped aside as Matt ran to embrace Toris, weeping all the while. "T-Toris!" he cried, wrapping his arms around his dear friend.

"Matt," Toris whispered, running fingers through the Canadian's golden waves. His eyes also watered, emotional in the knowledge that they were together again.

Alfred watched in a sad, selfish jealousy. As happy as he was for Matthew, he had secretly dreaded this moment. With Toris found, the agreement he'd made with Dad had been fulfilled. His heart sunk with the thought of Matthew leaving with the Lithuanian, but that was what they had originally planned.

So much has happened since then, he thought, wistfully remembering how Matthew had agreed to start over life with him. It was true: so much had changed and nothing was set in stone yet; they still had to figure out where to go from here. The next few days would take the heart right out of him, but he'd just have to pull through. The pain was well worth the time he'd spent with Matt.

. . .

Matthew and Toris decided that they needed to talk alone, so the Canadian brought him to the guest room, closing the door behind them. They sat awkwardly on the bed, neither sure how to begin. "…How are you?" Toris asked.

"G-Good," Matthew answered. "You?"

"Good, good, I guess."

"…How's your back?"

Toris's felt the muscles of said area tense at the thought. He sighed, pulling off his sweater. "…It doesn't hurt anymore, but Feliks says it looks pretty bad." As the Lithuanian removed the clothing, the disfigured skin underneath was slowly revealed. Matthew grimaced as his eyes scanned over the multitude of scars that would never heal. His friend caught his distraught look. "Is it that bad?"

"…He really did you over with that whip," the Canadian commented, discolored marks reminding him of the other torturous tools Ivan used on him, "and the electroshock." Carefully running fingers over the mutilated skin, he watched for any signs of discomfort in his friend's face.

"…Right," Toris affirmed, slightly trembling with the memory, "the electroshock." The electricity had been the worst part of his punishment, with receptors attached to his lower regions as he was raped for the second time that day. After the incident, he found himself wondering how much Ivan had experimented to get the electricity to just the right wavelength to inflict excruciating pain without paralytic damage, always deciding it was a horrendous thought.

"You'd think he'd keep his pets unharmed," Matthew pondered aloud, "since clients don't like damaged goods."

"Matt, you know that's why we couldn't stay there."

"…Right," Matt agreed, remembering that it had been the main reason for their escape. The clients would have seen Toris's scars, and once word got around, they'd stop asking for him. He'd no longer be a source of income for the Russian, who would then either kill him or use him for his personal sadistic experimentation.

"A-And I couldn't leave without you…"

"Shhh," Matthew soothed him, hugging him from behind. "It's okay." They both knew that even if Toris had found the strength to defect from the ring on his own, Ivan would have tortured Matthew in return for the betrayal. The two had to escape together, knowing the ones they left behind would be safe from their defiance as they'd never formed close relations with the others. Ivan needed his pets to make cash, and he would spare them if they weren't directly connected.

"…Matt?"

"Hm?"

"I'm…sorry."

"Toris-"

"It was my idea to stop in that bar and it was completely stupid and risky-"

"Toris, none of this is your fault," Matthew tried to reason with him.

"Yes it is! Just- because of that….look at what happened to you…"

Matthew felt his breath clench in his throat, the burning memory resurging over the nerves of his mind. He knew Alfred must have informed Toris of the gang rape. "…What's done is done. I don't blame you for any of it. We're both here now, and we need to just…let go. So please, stop worrying about it. You're going to get a stomachache."

The Lithuanian sighed, grasping his scalp through the strands of his hair. They sat in silence for a minute or two before he inquired, "…So…that Alfred guy's been taking pretty good care of you, huh?"

Blushing at the mention of his name, Matthew nodded shyly. Toris took this into account, asking, "…Are you together?"

"…I'm not sure," he answered truthfully, his face reddening even more. "I-I really like him…and I think he feels the same…but we haven't made anything…official, I guess."

"I think you should go for it." Smiling, he continued, "I think he really cares about you. I guess something good did come out of this whole mess."

"…What about you?" Matt asked. "You and, um…"

"Feliks?"

"Yes, um…"

"Him?"

"Yeah."

Toris chuckled, a blush rising on his cheeks. "Yeah, Feliks really is one of a kind. He's a little overwhelming sometimes, but I think we could have a relationship. I'm staying at his apartment for now, so who knows?"

The Canadian grinned, happy for his friend. How much he'd missed sharing the little things with him. "So how old is he?"

"Nineteen, like me."

"And he has his own apartment. So what does Feliks do for a living?"

He watched as Toris sighed, apprehensively fiddling with his brown locks. "…Well, basically…he's in the same boat as us, but by his own choice."

Matthew averted his eyes, emitting a soft "Oh." He knew what that meant, and it always distressed him to wonder how anyone could choose the life they'd been thrown into.

"…There's something you have to understand," Toris explained, lacing his fingers together. "Feliks grew up in a homophobic household, so when he was…found out, well, you can imagine the reaction his family had. They threw him to the curb, so for a while now, he's been working the streets. …He was so hurt; after so much time spent in that house being told how 'worthless' gays are…it really took a toll on him. He told me that…being a prostitute makes him feel loved, like people want him…accept him."

Matt gazed at his friend forlornly, seeing where Feliks was coming from. His own…his own had been fairly homophobic; something Matt had always thought might have contributed to his sale to the ring, aside from trying to resolve their debt. Sure, he'd announced that he was gay, but that man had always seen right through him in all other cases.

"Matt," Toris addressed him, his tone apprehensive, "I know…we promised to start life over together…but…"

The Canadian had known this would come up, for if Toris hadn't brought it up, he would've himself.

"…I need to stay with Feliks. There's so much brokenness in him…I want to fix it."

"I understand completely," Matthew consented, smiling a peaceful, sad smile. "In my case…I don't think I could leave Al at this point. …Things just aren't the same as they were when we set off."

"Hey, even though things have changed, I'm always going to be here for you," Toris reassured him, pulling his friend into a hug, "and I know you're always going to be here for me."

For a few minutes, they simply embraced, finding comfort in each other's presence. "…We should probably go back to the others now," Matthew suggested.

"Right."

"And you should probably put your shirt back on."

"Yeah, that might be good."

. . .

"Status report?"

"They found Toris. He and Matthew are inside the Kirklands' house right now. The father hasn't come home yet, but Alfred and his friends are there, along with someone else I'm guessing came with Toris. Any plans?"

"Do not try anything yet; there are too many witnesses. When Toris leaves, follow him and find out his current address. He has to be staying somewhere, likely with the other person you mentioned. I will drive down to Jersey tonight. We will plan the recapture when I get there."

"Roger that."

Ivan closed his phone, satisfied with the report. "Eduard," he addressed his subordinate, "we are enacting the second phase. Stay here with Natalia and help control the business while I'm gone."

"Yes sir."

"Oh, and Eduard?"

"Yes?"

His violet eyes bore into the man like a bitter blizzard as his chilled lips curled into a childlike smile, threatening, "If you let any more of my pets escape, I will kill you, da?"

"A-Affirmative," Eduard stuttered, his body frozen stiff by the Russian's words. It wasn't like he had a choice…

"I am glad you understand." Ivan grabbed his pre-packed suitcase and climbed outside the window onto the balcony. Making his way down the metal stairs in the back of the hotel, he fished for the paper with the Kirkland address in his coat pocket. He would have to get a cab since Ismael took the van in his drive to the town.

The Russian flagged down a taxi, stepping into the backseat. Thanks to his height, he ended up hitting his head against the low ceiling, messing up his dulled beige hair.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked grudgingly, a single brown curl peeking out from under his hat.

The strange passenger held out a piece of paper to him with his gloved fingers. What was wrong with this guy? It was only September, yet the man was dressed for winter, wearing a long trench coat and a bulky scarf.

Aggravated, the Italian snatched the paper from those fingers, shouting "What?" when he read the address. "New Jersey? That's an hour away! I'm not fucking going that far!"

"I will pay you."

"I don't care how much you fucking pay me! There's no goddamn way I'm driving all the way down to-"

"You will take me there," Ivan demanded, his glacial tone melding with the disturbed smile that graced his lips. He looked to the driver's ID in the front of the cab. "Lovino Vargas, is it? I must inform you that if you do not take me there, I will be forced to call upon my…friends in higher places, so to speak. You would not like a bullet to the head, da?"

Lovino gaped at him, the man's coercion causing him to quiver. Something was very wrong about this guy, evident in the cold way he spoke, as if he lived off the terror he instilled in others. "…Jersey it is," he conceded, pushing on the gas pedal.

Ivan smiled to himself, content as the cab drove off to his destination.

Let the games begin.