Part 2.
It was Fulton who came looking for them. After Adam had not returned to join them at lunch, he had decided to go and look for him. Connie had mentioned that he had seemed worried about Charlie, who had not shown up for any of his classes that morning and Fulton, who'd always considered himself sort of Charlie's big brother in a way, decided to ease his mind and make sure he was okay. Besides it was always funny if he ever caught them in an embarrassing position. He and Portman had started keeping tabs of the times they'd interrupted something between the two boys and were just about neck and neck right now.
He knocked on the door lightly before walking in. They were not on the bed as he had hoped they would be. Pity, he needed that one to up his score. As he moved round into the room he frowned. They were sat on the floor and although Charlie was in Adams arms, he instinctively knew that something was not right.
"Guys?"
As Charlie looked up, he gasped. He couldn't help himself. "Jesus, Charlie. What the hell happened?" He fell into the chair by the desk.
Charlie ran a sleeve self-consciously across his face and sniffed trying to shift out of Adam's embrace; unsuccessfully. Adam wasn't letting him go anytime soon and he quickly gave up, relaxing back into his hold.
"I ran into some trouble."
"Trouble?"
"People who don't agree with who," Adam paused and ground out the next word with venom," what we are."
"Fuck." Fulton breathed out with feeling. He looked shocked. "Where?"
"On the way back from my Mum's, about a mile from here. Along the park somewhere, I can't remember." He sighed and laid his head on Adam's shoulder, his eyes closing in weariness.
"You need to tell, man."
Charlie's eyes shot open. "No. No way."
Adam frowned and stared at his boyfriend. "Why not?"
Charlie turned scared brown eyes on his. "No. It'll just make things worse. I mean, what can they do? I don't know who they were. There's no proof. It'll just draw attention to us. I don't want this happening to you."
Adam laid a palm against the side of Charlie's face. "It won't. But we have to tell."
"No!" Charlie was adamant.
"Charlie!"
"Please!"
"You at least need to get checked over." Fulton looked at the bruising on Charlie's face and cack-handed way he held himself in Adam's arms and felt a wave of sympathy.
"Please, Charlie."
Charlie gazed into Adam's worried face and nodded. "Okay. But not the school nurse. I'll go to my own Doctor. I don't want any questions."
Adam reluctantly nodded and together they slowly got their feet. Adam had his arm around Charlie who looked pale as he stood there, swaying slightly. With a widening of his eyes, he suddenly took off out the door for the bathroom. Adam dashed after him and found him crouched over the toilet, his back heaving. Fulton stayed in their room out of the way. He was having a hard time trying to get his head around the fact that Charlie had been beaten up. He didn't know what he was going to do but he knew he was going to have to do something. Portman too; the other half of the bash brothers was as equally as protective over the rest of the Ducks as he was and he knew Dean wouldn't let something like this lie.
It was Fulton who came looking for them. After Adam had not returned to join them at lunch, he had decided to go and look for him. Connie had mentioned that he had seemed worried about Charlie, who had not shown up for any of his classes that morning and Fulton, who'd always considered himself sort of Charlie's big brother in a way, decided to ease his mind and make sure he was okay. Besides it was always funny if he ever caught them in an embarrassing position. He and Portman had started keeping tabs of the times they'd interrupted something between the two boys and were just about neck and neck right now.
He knocked on the door lightly before walking in. They were not on the bed as he had hoped they would be. Pity, he needed that one to up his score. As he moved round into the room he frowned. They were sat on the floor and although Charlie was in Adams arms, he instinctively knew that something was not right.
"Guys?"
As Charlie looked up, he gasped. He couldn't help himself. "Jesus, Charlie. What the hell happened?" He fell into the chair by the desk.
Charlie ran a sleeve self-consciously across his face and sniffed trying to shift out of Adam's embrace; unsuccessfully. Adam wasn't letting him go anytime soon and he quickly gave up, relaxing back into his hold.
"I ran into some trouble."
"Trouble?"
"People who don't agree with who," Adam paused and ground out the next word with venom," what we are."
"Fuck." Fulton breathed out with feeling. He looked shocked. "Where?"
"On the way back from my Mum's, about a mile from here. Along the park somewhere, I can't remember." He sighed and laid his head on Adam's shoulder, his eyes closing in weariness.
"You need to tell, man."
Charlie's eyes shot open. "No. No way."
Adam frowned and stared at his boyfriend. "Why not?"
Charlie turned scared brown eyes on his. "No. It'll just make things worse. I mean, what can they do? I don't know who they were. There's no proof. It'll just draw attention to us. I don't want this happening to you."
Adam laid a palm against the side of Charlie's face. "It won't. But we have to tell."
"No!" Charlie was adamant.
"Charlie!"
"Please!"
"You at least need to get checked over." Fulton looked at the bruising on Charlie's face and cack-handed way he held himself in Adam's arms and felt a wave of sympathy.
"Please, Charlie."
Charlie gazed into Adam's worried face and nodded. "Okay. But not the school nurse. I'll go to my own Doctor. I don't want any questions."
Adam reluctantly nodded and together they slowly got their feet. Adam had his arm around Charlie who looked pale as he stood there, swaying slightly. With a widening of his eyes, he suddenly took off out the door for the bathroom. Adam dashed after him and found him crouched over the toilet, his back heaving. Fulton stayed in their room out of the way. He was having a hard time trying to get his head around the fact that Charlie had been beaten up. He didn't know what he was going to do but he knew he was going to have to do something. Portman too; the other half of the bash brothers was as equally as protective over the rest of the Ducks as he was and he knew Dean wouldn't let something like this lie.