0
Hunter wasn't sure if it was his sudden confession of love for the other man or the fact that the events of last night was sinking in, but Hunter woke up feeling like a completely changed man. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust his eyes to the pale light slipping into his room between the curtains, and as soon as he was seeing clearly again, he immediately looked down to confirm that it was indeed Sebastian sleeping in his arms.
He let himself a single sigh of relief in knowing that Sebastian was safe and sound, that things hadn't taken a wrong turn last night. He shifted carefully as to not wake the other up and began stroking the base of Sebastian's neck, playing with the loose locks of hair. He had a lot of thinking and planning that needed to be done. And he was going to have to be damn careful not to allow a single mistake. He was finally seeing what was at stake, and something told him that he wasn't even close to seeing everything there was to know.
He had a mission. He was never going to let anyone hurt Sebastian ever again, and he was going to make damn sure of it. He didn't care if he was facing the powerful Smythes. He couldn't give a damn if he had to go against the president of the United States if he needed to. But for the time thing, he had to remain rational and practical. He was 17, but he had always been mature for his age. Perhaps it came with being from a military academy, perhaps he got it from his parents, but he wasn't about to act like a little teenager and fool himself into thinking he could handle this on his own.
He was smarter than that, and he was more than willing to put Sebastian's safety before his ego. Now, he wasn't in possession of any significant amount of power in terms of the law or the grand scheme of the rest of Ohio, but he did have a valuable asset. He had connections. More accurately, his family had powerful connections. He doubted that the Clarington name ranked as high as the Smythes in the social ladder, but it was still much better than nothing.
He doubted his mother would require much persuasion. She was a woman of compassion. She had devoted most of her life engaged in charity work (not that Hunter would ever consider Sebastian a charity case). The real problem was his father. It wasn't that he hated his own father. Far from it, actually. He respected the man for his dedication to excellence and discipline. He had never done any wrong to him or those around him and wouldn't allow anyone to bring harm to his own family.
But at the same time, they weren't exactly close to each other. When Hunter was little, he rarely got to see his father, who was always abroad or being called into important meetings. Even as a kid, Hunter never demanded his father's attention. He knew that the man was busy, and his mother had made sure that both she and Hunter remained proud of the man he was. But the time apart led to the inevitable. They never grew exactly close to each other. They didn't fight or argue, but they also didn't share personal details of their lives.
And as far as he was concerned, his father could very well be downright homophobic, and if that were the case, bringing into light that both his son and the boy who Hunter's trying to help are gay may not go as well as planned. His father had never given him any reason to be homophobic, but he had never given him any reasons to believe that he was accepting either. Memories of both his father and his grandfather consisted of telling him how to be a man, how to be tough. And Hunter had a difficult time persuading himself that they'd be receptive of both his and Sebastian's sexuality.
In the end, the biggest obstacle was to somehow persuade Sebastian to agree to take the offer in the first place. Unfortunately, if his past behavior was any indication, Sebastian would probably scream bloody murder than agree to make his secret known to another breathing human being. Hunter closed his eyes again and groaned inwardly at the issue at hand. Why Sebastian was being so damn stubborn, he wasn't entirely sure. Yes, he understood that Sebastian would be ashamed of what happened (not that he agreed at all), but wouldn't he want to do anything possible to make sure it never happened again?
Deep down, Hunter knew the reason. That last shred of dignity was all Sebastian had, and he'd rather kill himself than let that go. The more he thought about it, the more be began to understand, but he had to stop himself from accepting that. He wasn't going to let this go on. It was now up to him to persuade Sebastian to listen to him. But how?
"I can't sleep because of how loud you're thinking."
Hunter stilled at the sudden voice and looked down to see that Sebastian was scowling with his eyes still closed.
"Morning," Hunter greeted, glad that it was Saturday and that they didn't have to rush to get to class. Actually, he didn't even know what time it was and didn't care. He had more pressing matters he had to address.
Sebastian groaned but didn't make a move to get off the bed. Hunter took it as a sign that he needed more sleep and just remained silent. And in less than 5 minutes, Sebastian was fast asleep again. OK, maybe he could catch a bit more sleeping before he continued with the planning. Hunter closed his eyes and buried his nose into the familiar mop of brown locks. Yes, some rest will do both of them some good.
0
Hunter snapped wide awake to a sudden shift of the mattress, followed by a blur of limbs jumping out of the bed and rushing straight to the bathroom. He kicked the remaining blanket away and followed Sebastian, his heartbeat picking up rapidly at the sight of Sebastian fumbling frantically for the toilet. And before he could even call out the other's name, Sebastian was emptying the already non-existent content of his stomach, a succession of wretched, strangled sounds quickly filling up the room. Hunter snapped himself out of it and kneeled down by the other.
"Go away," Sebastian managed between the heaves, but Hunter wasn't even paying attention to the words. Sebastian looked absolutely miserable, his hands shaking as they held tightly onto the bowl, and his face void of any color. His hair clung to his forehead covered in cold sweat, and Hunter began to wonder how he had missed the signs.
Once the heaving stopped, Sebastian was sitting slouched on the bathroom floor, trying to get his breathing under control. Hunter sat by him in silence, not sure of what to say. Asking if he was OK sounded like the dumbest possible option, and asking questions right now wasn't going to yield anything other than sarcasm, so he settled for keeping the other company (if he could even call it that).
"Let me get you some water," Hunter stated softly before heading to the vending machine right outside the hallway. As he inserted the coins, he eyed the door warily, as if expecting Sebastian to bolt out any minute, retreat to his own room, and give him another silent treatment. Yet, when he re-entered the room, he found Sebastian still on the floor, looking slightly better than how he had been a couple of minutes ago.
"Here." Hunter handed the other a bottle of water and watched him take small sips. "You should drink more. That was a lot of stomach acid that just came up."
"Didn't know you had a degree in medicine."
"I've seen my fair share of puking back in Colorado, and trust me, you're going to want to drink more."
Sebastian raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Some idiots think it's a good idea to undergo hard training while on an empty stomach."
"And you?"
"Please, I can take anything they throw me."
Sebastian chuckled lowly at the statement, and Hunter felt immediately relieved.
"Look," Hunter began once they were back on his bed. "I don't know how to beat around the bush, and I'm pretty sure there's a protocol for these situations, but I don't know any. I wanted to give you some time to recover or whatever, but I know you're strong enough to handle having the talk."
Sebastian watched the other in silence. Strangely enough, he actually felt glad that Hunter wasn't treating him like some glass doll after the incident of the night before. Hunter had literally kept him from committing suicide, yet he wasn't tip-toeing or cowering around the subject. And he definitely appreciated the other's trust and faith in him.
"I don't want you going back to your house," Hunter stated matter of factly. Sebastian sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples.
"What choice do I have? I'm not 18 yet."
"You will be soon though, and until then, I want you to stay with us."
"Who's us?"
"My family."
"I can tell you at least 10 reasons why that's a bad idea, but I'm not going to waste both our times reciting what we already know."
"Humor me."
"Uh, let's see. You'd have to tell your parents what's going on. I'm not going to let you do that."
"Why aren't you doing everything to stay away from them?"
"Because I'm not a fuckin' idiot. What, you don't think I've considered all the possibilities in the book? I did. I'm not sure if you understand this, but I don't exactly enjoy being fucked by some middle-aged man because my family hates my fucking guts!" Sebastian clenched his jaws to keep himself from crying in front of Hunter. Again. "There's nothing you or I can do. Nothing! I run away, they just file for missing person and find me. I can't go to the police. There is nothing they can't do, and maybe you're too naive to see it, but I'm not. I don't live with the delusion that justice means anything when you have power and money. And I can guarantee you, they have plenty of both."
"We'll find a way."
"You know, you keep saying that, but admit it. You have no idea what you're talking about. I'm sorry to break your dreamworld bubble, but welcome to the real world, Hunter. Things don't always work out because you think they will."
"I promise my parents will be able to help you."
"I'm not going to make me someone's charity case."
"How is telling my parents making you a charity case?"
"You know goddamn well it is."
"It's not. I'm doing all this because I want to. Why can't you just accept that?"
"It's my life, not yours."
"Don't."
"Don't what."
"Don't give up on me, because I'm not giving up on you."
0
Sebastian was sure he was going to be sick.
He didn't have to look down to know that his hands were shaking against his knees. And no amount of gripping tightly onto the fabric was stopping the tremor raking through his body.
Sebastian snapped up when he felt a warm hand on his. He didn't realize that his hands had become ice cold until they were against Hunter's warm one. Hunter glanced at the other teen but didn't say anything. Sebastian was glad that Hunter wasn't asking him any questions, because he was sure that he wouldn't be able to give any coherent answers.
They were on their way to the Clarington residence. Sebastian had finally caved in after much persuasion on Hunter's behalf. A part of him knew that he was going to have to fight till the very end. He was risking his father's wrath, but he felt oddly safely when Hunter told him that everything was going to be alright.
Sebastian had to suppress a blatant look of surprise as the car approached an estate. It wasn't as grand or pretentious as the Smythe manor, but Sebastian could see that Hunter was still very well off. He could see where Hunter's confidence came from. And he suddenly felt foolish for assuming that the Claringtons wasn't going to be of any help to him. He was going to have to remember this for when he next jumped to doubting the other.
Hunter gave Sebastian's hand a reassuring squeeze before getting out of the car. They soon entered the house and came face to face with who had to be Mrs. Clarington. She was a woman of grace and subdued power and wore a smile that was both confident and motherly. She gave Hunter a tight hug before turning to the guest.
"And you must be Sebastian," she began with an even wider smile. "It's lovely to finally meet you. Oh, sweetie, your father's upstairs finishing up a phonecall. Why don't you two come join me in the living room?"
The three continued into the estate, Sebastian quickly thinking that he had just made a huge mistake. He wondered if there was any way he could back out of this entire situation. He could pull a grand theft auto and just drive off with Hunter's car, but didn't think that was a good idea.
"Would you like some tea? Coffee?" Mrs. Clarington asked as the three sat on the pristine white sofas of the spacious living room.
"No thank you, ma'am."
"Oh, so polite. Ah, there he is."
Sebastian turned around and spotted a man who bore a striking resemblance to Hunter. The only different was that he was a lot more intimidating than his son. There was an air of confidence that all members of the Claringtons seemed to share. His eyes were more piercing, molded from years of experience on the battlefield, and his jaws were more defined. Sebastian briefly wondered if that's what Hunter would look like in 20 years.
Both he and Hunter got off the sofa as Mr. Clarington approached them. After curt greetings, the four found them selves sitting around in the living room.
"So what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Aaron Clarington asked, and Sebastian noticed how the man wasn't showing any signs of any emotions. No concern, no curiosity. Nothing.
"Mom. Dad. I need your help."
Aaron leaned forward, a crease forming on his forehead.
"Oh honey, are you in trouble?" Caroline Clarington asked, suddenly looking panic-stricken. She was an obvious opposite of her husband.
"No, I'm not. I..." Hunter paused and glanced at the other Warbler. Sebastian was avoiding eye contact with anyone, his lips stretched into a thin line. Hunter had rehearsed the lines in his head a million times over, but when it came to actually having to tell his parents, he was lost for words.
"Sweetie, you know you can tell us anything."
"I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just say whatever comes to mind," Hunter began, glancing back and forth between his parents. "I need Sebastian to stay with us during holidays and breaks. At least until he's 18."
"And may I ask why?" Caroline questioned, clearly confused but not against the idea. Sebastian vaguely noted how Aaron Clarington hadn't said a single word.
"Sebastian's having family problems."
"What...sort of problems?" she asked slowly, her brows furrowed. She knew her son. He never asked for anything, but suddenly he was at the house with another member of his school, asking that this boy stay with the family. She was starting to think that something was severely wrong.
Hunter looked at Sebastian as if asking for permission. Sebastian closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He knew he had to get over this. He had to come out and just say it. Hunter had told him that there was nothing wrong with him. That none of this was his fault. He still had trouble accepting the statements, but he needed help. He couldn't handle it anymore, and if his attempted suicide was any indication, he really, really needed all the help he could possibly get. And the band-aid was going to have to be ripped up in one, single, painful sweep.
"My dad sells me out to his friends for sex."
The entire room went silent as Sebastian let out a shuddered breath, immediately regretting his sudden moment of Tourette's. Hunter held his breath as he watched his parents. His mother was much easier to read. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief , then her expression quickly turned into that of horror and disgust, soon to be replaced by what he recognized as motherly protectiveness. His father, however, sat still, his features unchanging.
"Your father. Is he Tyler Smythe?"
Sebastian flinched at the name. He was hoping that Hunter's father wouldn't know, but he was apparently out of luck. It wasn't too surprising though. Most people knew his father without really knowing what kind of man he was.
"Yes, sir," Sebastian breathed, his eyes still closed. He couldn't bring himself to open them and see for himself the look of disgust and disbelief. He instantly regretted his decision to let Hunter talk him into this, and as the silence continued to linger, he felt increasingly nauseated. He felt light-headed and on the brink of hyperventilating.
Then he felt a familiar hand on his.
He opened his eyes slowly and looked into the green pools of Hunter's. And he felt his fears dissipated just as quickly as they came.
"Caroline, is the guest room ready for use?" Aaron began, earning a look of surprise from both his son and his friend.
"Oh, of course. The blanket's been washed, and everything's ready. Sebastian sweetie, do you need to pick anything up or- no wait, don't even worry about that right now. Why don't you follow me and let me show you around?" Caroline got off the couch and motioned for the teen to follow. Sebastian still looked shell-shocked and was just sitting there as if he couldn't comprehend anything coming out of the woman's mouth. Hunter nudged him gently and pointed with his chin to follow. He knew what was going on. His father wanted to talk to him alone.
Sebastian got up gingerly and obliged, still not trusting his voice. He was still trying to wrap his head around the neck-breaking pace of the situation. Caroline was acting as if her son told her that he wanted a friend to sleep over for the night. She wasn't coddling him or tearing up. She wasn't even asking questions. She simply gave him a tour that he hardly registered, and before he knew it, he was standing in a spacious guest room, decorated lavishly.
Downstairs in the living room, Aaron Clarington was deep in thought. He didn't show it, but he was deeply disturbed by the news brought home by his son.
"Son, when did you find out about this?"
"...A few days ago."
"And why haven't you told us?"
"He didn't want anyone to know. I needed some time to persuade him."
"Son. This is a serious matter. You shouldn't have waited."
"I know, but I had no choice."
Aaron nodded slowly instead of arguing. There was no time for lectures, and he knew his son wasn't foolish. There must have been a good reason why it had been postponed, and he wasn't about to waste time with the useless interrogation.
He knew the Smythes. He didn't know them on a personal level, but he knew people who were quite close to the power family. As a result, while he had no knowledge of their personalities, he had a decent understanding of their social status. And that meant that this was huge. A very delicate situation that was going to need all the help he could get.
"I'm glad you came to us," Aaron said finally, his expression still fully composed. Hunter couldn't tell what was going on in his father's head, but he knew that he wasn't angry. There may be a hint of concern in those usually stern eyes. So far, his father hadn't gone against the idea of having another person living in the house, which was a relief.
"Is there anything else you want to tell us?" Mr. Clarington asked, his voice still leveled. Hunter frowned, unsure of what his father was getting at.
"No. I don't think so."
"I suppose you haven't called the police yet."
"No."
"I'll call up some lawyer friends."
"Dad...thank you."
Aaron Clarington stilled as Hunter tensed at the sudden silence.
"Now, I expect the two of you to stay for dinner...and I'm proud of you, son."
The younger Clarington watched his father's retreating figure in shock. Apparently he didn't know his father as well as he had hoped. But he was definitely not complaining about the unexpected discovery.
0
Caroline Clarington left Sebastian to be acquainted with the new room, and only then did she let her emotions play out on her face. She had to place a hand on a wall to help herself make her way back downstairs. She was horrified. She couldn't even grasp the entire situation in her mind. How could anyone do such a thing to a child! Their own son! She couldn't even fathom how anyone could be so cruel.
As soon as she entered the living room, she saw her son still in the living room, glued to the sofa. She sat by him, a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and she noted with relief that he didn't look overtly angry, frustrated or sad.
"Sweetie, why don't you help Sebastian settle in the room?" she began sagely, tapping him on the shoulders a couple of times before getting up to find her husband. He nodded and made his way upstairs, easily locating the room Sebastian was in.
"Hey," he greeted curtly as he entered the room. Sebastian was standing by the bed, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes directed at his feet but unseeing. "Hey, you alright?"
"I can't do this."
"What?"
"This. I can't do this. This was a huge mistake. I'm just gonna go-" Sebastian continued in a hurried voice and rushed towards the door. Hunter effectively stopped him with a hand on his wrist, making sure to avoid where he knew for a fact the other was bruised.
"Hey! Wait."
"Are you not seeing this?" Sebastian hissed, trying to pull away. "I'm not going to bring shit to this family. You didn't hear me say this, but I actually like your parents. Your mom, she's a nice lady, and your dad? He didn't even ask me questions. He just let me stay. Look, I'm an asshole, but I'm not doing this to your family. No. I need to go."
"Hey, stop, stop!"
"You have two options. You either drive me back, or I take your keys and go alone. In which case, you're going to have to find a way back on your own!"
"Will you calm the fuck down?"
"No! I'm leaving! I can't do this! It seems like both you and your family have no idea what my parents are capable of you. They will destroy you. Every one of you. And I'm not going to be held responsible-"
Sebastian stopped when he heard the door swing open to reveal Aaron Clarington. The man stepped forward slowly, an air of indisputable authority around him. Sebastian felt himself trembling again, flashbacks trapping him to a dead-end.
"Now you listen to me, kid," Aaron Clarington began, his voice calm. "My wife and I have always tried our best to raise our Hunter the right way, to do the right thing, and I'm damn well proud of him for bring you here. I'm guessing you're 17, just like my son is, so why don't you let the adults handle everything and you go back to being a kid."
Sebastian teared his eyes away from the older man, suddenly feeling guilty and like a small, helpless child.
"I'm going to do the right thing, to show my son how one has to do the right thing no matter what the battle is. I expect you downstairs for dinner in half an hour. And, son?" Aaron stared right at Sebastian, who was now clenching his jaws so hard to keep himself from crying, that the older man felt the need to place a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.
"I'm proud of you, too. I'll see you at the dinner table."
Aaron Clarington made his way out the door, leaving the two boys to themselves. Sebastian sunk to his knees and leaned against the bed-frame, the heels of his hands pressed against his eyes almost painfully. It hurt. He thought he'd be relieved to know what he was welcomed in the house, but for some reason, it hurt. He could hardly control the sobs wrecking through his body. The words were like a slap to the face, leaving a stinging sensation in its wake, yet he felt like he had needed this for the longest time.
Hunter wrapped an arm around the other, bringing him closer to him. He had never felt so close to both Sebastian and his father as he did now. There was an overwhelming sense of pride in being his father's son, and he only hoped that Sebastian would let himself become a part of the Claringtons.
"You heard the man. Come on, let's get you ready for dinner," Hunter began once most of the crying died down. Sebastian wiped away at his eyes furiously, ignoring the burn. Hunter took this opportunity to cup the other teen's cheeks and plant a kiss over each eyelid.
"I'm glad you're staying."
Hunter got up, pulling Sebastian onto his feet.
"I'll see you downstairs."
0