Chibiyu: …

Nick: *fuming in anger*

Chibiyu: …

Nick: Really? Your last chapter was…gah! I hate you!

Chibiyu: …*sobs*…*laughs with Nick*

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()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()~~~~~~()JOE'S POV

I heard Leon hit Nick. I heard Nick whimper again and again. I heard Nick sob. I heard Leon grunt and Nick shout out in pain. I heard Leon goading me to open my eyes. I heard Nick begging me to keep them closed in a shaky voice. I heard Leon laugh and Nick hiss in pain and then yelp out like a kicked dog. I heard my own sobs mix with Nick's. I heard what Nick had to go through, just because of me… I heard the consequences of my own foolish actions… I heard Nick take it all without a second thought as he protected me from death, all because of me not listening to him, me being the brother he needed…and it doomed him. I heard the slamming of a metal sounding door and Leon laughing again as he walked from the room, wishing us both a good night and silence fell, only to be interrupted by Nick's abrupt sobs.

I hesitantly opened my eyes and they went to the blood on the floor, to Nick's torn to shreds shirt, to his pants, to a dog crate with a master lock. In the corner of side crate, huddled Nick, sobbing into his knees, blood coming from his back and from his legs and it quickly dawned on me what exactly that Bastard did to him…and what Nick saved me from seeing.

JOE'S POV

I noticed something as soon as Leon had left but at first, it seemed too unimportant to mention, but now…seeing Nick shiver in the new coldness of the bus…I noticed it. That…that Bastard turned down the heat even more, just to make Nick suffer more than he already was tonight.

Nick had long since stopped crying, but he had not stopped starring deadly at the floor in front of him, not acknowledging my soft calls to him, or the fact he was locked in a dog crate, or really anything but that one spot. He looked pretty bad from where I was sitting; his redder than normal eyes had dark circles and he was paler than I've ever seen before, if I hadn't known better, I would say he was made of marble.

"Nick…I'm sorry…" I tried again but he didn't even blink. I sighed and gave up trying to avert his attention from his obvious dark thoughts and pain. I watched him shift slightly and I winced at the sight of his scabbing leg and he noticed my gaze and turned his leg again so I couldn't see it. "I am going to get you out of here soon Nick…I promise…I'll do anything…" I tried and Nick's head shot up, but his eyes were harder than diamonds, glaring in pure hate and anger and sorrow.

"Haven't you done enough?" He hissed, his rage riding on his voice and his voice shaking a bit from a mix of anger and sadness. But I saw the cracks on his soul through his dead eyes; I could see the disaster this had left him in, the exact extent of pain I had put him through for just trying to be a brother. He was a shattered soul because of me.

I turned my gaze away, heart filling with a whirlwind of guilt and Leon walked in smiling and I felt the bus come to a stop. He walked over to Nick's cage and kicked it roughly but Nick did not react to the sudden shake. Leon opened the lock and I saw the numbers, instantly memorizing them and he forced Nick out by the neck and Nick stood in the exact spot he was released in, starring at the floor again.

"Untie him." Leon ordered and pushed Nick roughly towards me and he obeyed, untying my legs and then my wrists and I held back a wince as his gentle fingers brushed my sore wrists. As soon as I was free I glared at Leon who laughed as Nick walked back over to his side and he put his hand on Nick's shoulder and I noticed how he flinched and how his face screwed up in what looked like pain.

"Don't touch him!" I said standing up quickly and Leon laughed.

"What are you going to do? Report me? Nick already tried that, didn't you my little fucktard?" Leon responded, caressing Nick's cheek and I saw tears forming in his eyes, but he did not let them fall. "You can't do a thing…or the consequences will be no less than severe." Leon trailed off, letting his threat hang in the chilled air and Nick closed his eyes, as though begging silently I would do as he said.

"You're right…" I looked down, hoping my acting skills were up to date. "I…I can't…I can't do anything…I won't risk it…I won't risk the brother I actually love." I hated myself and I saw a solitary tear fall from Nick's closed eyes and onto the floor. I yearned to tell him it was all a lie, that I did love him that I wouldn't give up, but in front of Leon…that would be like digging his grave for him.

"See that Nicky?" Leon purred into Nick's ear and Nick opened his eyes warily but did not raise his gaze. "Unloved you grew and unloved you'll forever live, even your own brother wants nothing to do with you…I can't blame him, you are a worthless pile of crap and in seven months…I'll be doing everyone a favor by ridding your miserable life…in fact…I bet you'd like me to do that right now…is that right?" Nick did not answer and Leon glared. "I said, is that right?!?" He hit Nick hard across the face and grabbed his neck roughly, brining his head to face me and his gaze met mine and neither of us looked away.

"Yes…" Nick whispered and I bit down all emotion and Leon laughed before letting him go and whispering how he would have to wait a little longer and then both of their wishes would be fulfilled. Leon walked over to me and opened the door and pushed me out onto the street in such a way it looked like I tripped on the bus steps and stumbled out. He followed me and Nick came last, following like a lost puppy, not even watching where he was going. Kevin walked out of our bus and watched Nick and Leon walk into the hotel and he looked to my face, which I am sure was not a very pretty sight…thank goodness there were no fans here.

"Joe…what happened? How did you get off the bus?" Kevin smartly asked but I shook my head.

"I was an idiot." I replied before following Nick into the hotel, hating myself more with every step I took and wishing it was me in Nick's shoes and he was spared…because last night was my entire fault.

KEVIN'S POV

I knew something was wrong as soon as I heard a noise and got out of bed to an open window and Nick's bus passing ours, glimpsing a very surprised Nick in the window. I was able to worry and gather enough from that to understand how Joe got on Nick's bus but not what he did while he was on it. But judging from his wider than normal eyes and pale completion, it wasn't good. What did Leon do or what did Nick say? I had to know…but Nick wouldn't tell me and Joe looked like he needed time…so I could wait.

I glanced at my watch as Joe collapsed in his claimed bed and saw we still had a few hours to the photo shoot at 1 so it was all good, but I couldn't fall back asleep and judging from Joe's silence, neither could he. So I turned on the TV to a low volume and soon got bored with that so I went for a walk and as soon as I was outside, Leon came down the hall.

"Kevin! I need a huge favor, if you're up to it." He said and I nodded, gesturing for him to continue. "I have to go to a meeting that I forgot about and Nick is sleeping right now and a phone call won't wake him up so can you please, you know, make sure he is ready and awake on time?" Leon nearly begged but I saw through his act but I nodded anyway and caught the card key Leon threw to me as he ran off.

That was convenient…did he plan it all or make it up as he went along? I shrugged and went into Nick's room and found him, curled up at the edge of his bed, fully dressed, and sound asleep. I smiled and sat on the other end of the bed, knowing I did not need to stay and yet, this silence seemed so much friendlier than the one Joe created. But then again, our room was a lot warmer and I looked over and saw Nick shivering a bit so I wrapped the blankets around him, for he had been lying on top of them and he stirred a little from the sudden warmth, but didn't wake, which is good because he looked terrible. He was paler than I've ever seen him, like he bleached his skin or recently became a vampire, he had dark circles under slightly pink eyes and even in sleep, he seemed afraid. I reached out and put my hand on his forearm and I felt him involuntarily tense and his face flinch a bit from the contact but he soon relaxed again and sighed.

"What did he do to you?" I whispered so softly that I could barely hear myself and silence answered my question. I moved to get up and Nick stirred again, but this time, he turned to me, his eyes open and dead. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry." I whispered and Nick shrugged, his gaze not leaving mine and I saw the question before he even had to ask it. "Leon is at a meeting, he asked me to make sure you would be ready in time. But you have two hours before noon so go back to sleep." I quietly informed him and he nodded, relaxing a bit more and lowering his gaze as I stood to leave and I was at the door when I heard him stir again.

"Kevin?" He quietly called in a shaky voice and I turned to see him sitting and looking at my funny.

"Can you give Joe a message?" He asked and I nodded and he looked down. "Don't do it."

"Don't do what?" I questioned, feeling like I missed something.

He shook his head. "That's the message. He will understand." Nick told me before lying back down and starring at the ceiling and I knew the conversation was over so I said goodbye and walked out, feeling really left out but at the same time, I knew that once I told Joe, I would get answers.

…

"Joe?" I asked as I walked over to his bed and he looked up at me in confusion. "Message for you from Nick. He said 'Don't do it."

Joe sighed angrily and put on his 'oh I am frustrated' face. "How can I not do it?!? He is bloody abusing him Kevin!" He yelled to me and I was startled.

"Joe, what happened?"

Joe sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. "Last night I crawled through the windows to switch buses because I saw Nick in there with a knife and I panicked. Brotherly moment and blah, and then Leon walks in, he knows Kevin, he knows we know, and tied me to a chair and…" Joe trailed off and dry sobbed and I was instantly holding him but I knew he wasn't done talking. "Nick told me to close my eyes and to never open them, not matter what, so I did and I'm not 100% sure what I heard but…oh god Kevin…he raped him again! And it's all because of me! Nick was brave and put himself in my place and…if I hadn't been so dumb…this is all my fault!" He sobbed openly now and I held him close, feeling the disgust and hatred of Leon, pity and sorrow for Nick, and the same for Joe.

"This is not your fault Joe. We will get Nick out of Leon's clutches, even if it does kill us." I told him but Joe shook his head.

"That was what Nick doesn't want us to do…he wants us to live while he dies more each and every day with that scum bag. I…in order to convince Leon…I had to say something really bad to Nick…I told him I didn't love him…my exact words were 'I won't risk it, I won't risk the brother I actually love. I made him cry Kev…he must hate me." Joe choked out and I felt his pain but I also knew it was wrong.

"No Joe, if Nick hated you, he wouldn't be trying to stop you from saving him. If he hated you, he would let you die and we both know he doesn't want that. But we can't leave him with Leon…we can't lose our brother for the second time."

Joe's phone rang and he composed himself quickly before picking it up and jabbering away to Stella and I decided to walk out because he was begging me to check on Nick again so I caved. I walked back into an empty suite and started freaking out a bit. His bed was empty, the bathroom was empty, and the other room was empty. But then I heard music coming from the balcony and I walked out onto it and recognized the song "Watching Over Me" by Thousand Foot Krutch. I looked around and saw him sitting on the wide rail, his left leg bent, his right dangling over the cement, his back leaning against the wall, and his eyes closed as the warm wind hit out faces. I sat on one of the chairs, ready to jump up if he fell and he cracked open one eye and regarded me rather coldly before closing it again.

"Joe told me." Three words and he stiffened, his eyes opening and him turning to glare, but it was not as intense or as mean as it could have been, in fact, it was more fear and shock than anger and hate.

"And yet you both still know nothing." He replied before turning his head forward again. "Leave Kevin; I'm not wanted in your life any more than your wanted in mine." He coldly stated and I shook my head, forgetting he wasn't looking at me. I was about to speak but a dove landed on the railing in front of us and we both watched it walk around in a stately way before flying off, my gaze leaving it but Nick looked to it rather longingly as it became a speck in the sky.

"What Joe said it wasn't true and you know it. We do love you Nick and we will be there to help you." Nick sighed and shook his head.

"You don't get it." He turned back to face me, his eyes filled with the need for me to understand to the want for me to leave. "You've both done too much already and look where it's landed the three of us. You two can be saved if you just do as he says and leave me alone, but I am damned so just leave my fate be, or else you will fall to the same."

"Nick…I…"

"Leave."

"Nick…"

"Now."

His harsh tone was enough and I knew he was right but that didn't mean we wouldn't stop trying and as soon as I get back to Joe, we would make a plan to find proof and get Nick out of this life were he was teetering on the edge of certain death.

Chibiyu: Some inspiration again but it's only coming for this story…Until Next Update.

Please please please vote for "Breathing Underwater" at h t t p : / / h m a w a r d s . t u m b l r (.)com for Most Likely to be Published!!

VOTING BEGINS MARCH 5TH!!!