Milan's knuckles rapped gently against the rough wood of his brother's door. The blonde was content but Axton gulped nervously.
A tall black haired ruffian opened the door.
"Hello, Brother." Milan said with a small smile. The bigger man picked him up and hugged him to himself like Milan was a small puppy. "I missed you so much."
"Hi little man! It's been awhile." Veniv was cheery in his tone. Milan held onto his brother for dear life. He was holding onto him as if he'd disappear for several more years.
"It's been far too long but please put me down." Milan struggled to get out of his grip. The older of them all set the youngest down. Veniv's attention when to Axton.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Veniv asked. Axton when red in the face.
"No it's my abductor. He took me hostage." Milan said as if it was nothing. Veniv turned to Axton and grabbed him by his shirt.
"Have you hurt my baby brother? Do I have to kill you?" Veniv was about to punch Axton in the face but Milan grabbed his arm. Axton flinched when the fist was close to his face.
"Stop! It was a misunderstanding. He took me away from my soon to be boyfriend because I'm about to get with Handsome Jack and they were doing a raid on his building and I was in Jack's lap when the security guard was warning him that bandits were coming and Jack was trying to protect me and he was pulled away from me and Zer0 grabbed me. Please don't hurt Axton, he's only showed me the kindest of manners." Milan pleaded.
"Wait wait wait. Back up about ten sentences." Veniv dropped Axton and held onto his brother's arm.
"I didn't say ten sentences...what do you want me to repeat?"
"The part where you said you were about to date the deadliest man in the universe!"
"He's nice, why don't you guys just leave him alone?" Milan whimpered.
"Get in here! If you say that too loud around here, you'll get your ass beat in." Veniv pushed his brother inside and Axton reluctantly followed.
"What is your guys' problem with Jack, I can't believe you. You guys know nothing about him!" Milan pouted.
"And how much do you know about him?"
"Well uh... He hasn't dated anyone since Moxxi..."
"So what you're telling me is you're the same old kid who falls in love with the first person who flirts with you?" Veniv raised an eyebrow at his brother.
"What no... He is just so... accepting and he is so... passionate..."
"Falling for just anyone didn't work out that great the last time." The older brother touched the scar that poked out from under Milan's shirt.
"Shut up! It's you fault that he did this to me..." Milan sniffled, his eyes started to brim with tears. Milan pushed past his brother and into the bathroom. Axton sighed and looked at Veniv.
"What happened?" Axton asked the black haired man.
"It's not my place to tell you. Go ask him. It'll make him feel better. He's never gotten to talk about it all the way." Veniv tilted his head. Axton walked over to the bathroom door and tried to turn it. It was locked of course.
"Milan, It's me Axton. You can talk to me. I swear." Axton said through the wood of the door.
"I am not opening that door." The blonde's voice came out weak and sad. This hurt Axton.
"Please just let me in. I can't send you back to Jack with you so sad. I just wanna talk, we can leave Jack out of this. No bad mouthing him. I promise. Just let me in." Axton pleaded.
He waited there for a moment and was about to give up but the sound of a lock told the blonde otherwise. The younger blonde opened the door and Axton got a good look at his face. There we tears lining his cheeks and his nose and eyes were puffy and red, assumed from crying and blowing his nose. Axton went past him and Milan closed and locked the door back.
"What happened out there? Why are you so upset?" Axton asked.
"Well... This is what I do... I get upset and I cry..." Milan mumbled.
"That's not what I meant. I was talking about what Veniv said. I don't let innocent people get hurt but I prefer to know the stories of those who I protect. Do you see where I'm coming from?" Axton sat on the closed toilet. Milan seated himself in the tub, his face against the porcelain siding.
"He watched people walk all over me in life. I fell in love at 14 and I thought that it was everything. The guy was so nice and I just... Trusted him ya know... I'm sorry, I shouldn't put this on you... I just... No one ever wants to listen... No one has ever cared enough to ask me my side of this story. They heard his and shunned me. Or listened to Veniv's perspective. Both which are heavily skewed to one side of the argument. My fault and His. No one ever wanted to hear my side."
"Tell me more about your side of the story." Axton looked over at the boy with concern lacing his eyes.
"It's not important... I can keep it to myself. I'll be fine..." Milan couldn't look up at Axton, he was too upset to look anyone in the eye.
"But I want to hear it. Even if Jack takes you away and I never see you again, you will know I care. Even if you never tell anyone again, it'll be out there. And I promise you that I will never tell anyone." Axton put his head in his hands, now knowing that Milan won't look at him.
"Okay... Just don't tell anyone..."
"On my life."
"Well, Like I told you. I fell for this guy at 14, but I didn't do anything about it until the age of 16. He was much older than me. He was 14 years older than me. So he didn't want me to say anything if we got together. Because of the age gap, ya know? He agreed to be with me, just not to do anything in public. My brother was the most skeptical. He didn't want to let me date anyone. Especially a 30 year old guy. We only held hands and kissed every so often at first. But once I turned 18, he was very... Pushy... He never touched me when I told him no. He respected my boundaries, I swear. But I kept denying him. He got more aggressive but only ever yelled at me. I agreed to have sex with him one night... He was buried deep within m-" The blonde was cut off.
"TMI, Kid. Move on." Axton was red in the face.
"Well, we were mid-sex and I had screamed a bit too loud and Veniv rushed in thinking I was in pain. He got the wrong idea and he pulled a knife out of his boot. The guy got up and threw on boxers. I was rushing to get dress. My boyfriend somehow got a hold of my father's sword. It's a collector's item, but that's beside the point. They rushed at each other and I was dumb and got between them. As if that could stop them. Veniv cut me in the neck and shoulder... My boyfriend at the time cut me along the hip and pelvis. I was lucky to live. I was in the hospital for months. That's when my mom kicked Veniv out. And the guy left me. He... hated me. I got him in trouble... He has every right to hate me..." Sniffles ended his sentence and Axton perked up at the sound. He moved from the toilet and hugged the younger blonde. Milan sobbed against Axton's shoulder.
"It's okay. It's the past. I'm sure he doesn't hate you. What's the guy's name?" Axton assured the other.
"Mordecai... I haven't seen him in years." Milan confessed. Axton stopped everything he was doing. The hug stopped and he sat back. "What's wrong?"
"We can't go back..."
"Go back where?"
"The base. We can't go back..."
"Why?"
"Mordecai is Lilith's friend, he stops by there all the time. We can't go back, I don't want you to go through that." Axton explained. Milan looked up fearfully.
"I can't see him, he hates me. He'll get me back for what happened." Milan started crying harder.
"I'm going to call Maya and Lilith, tell them that you can't go back." Axton patted Milan on the head before leaving the room. Veniv took his place in the bathroom, comforting his brother.
Axton pulled his echo and called the base.
"What's up Axton?" Maya responded.
"Is Lilith with you there?" Axton questioned.
"That she is..." Maya seemed confused by this question.
"Make sure she can hear this."
"Okay we're all listening." Lilith's voice came across the speaker.
"We can't come back to the base."
"Why the fuck not?" Lilith sounded mad.
"Milan can't see Mordecai. We can't risk it. Milan might get hurt."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"How about you call Mordecai. He could probably tell you. I need to find a place safer than there to return Milan to Jack. Milan is too afraid to come back." Axton said. He knew that he would be in deep shit for this but he hung up on them. He sent out a call to Handsome Jack.
"Handsome Jack speaking, what's up, Bandit?"
"I uh... Milan is too scared to return to my base. Could you get him any sooner?"
"Is he unsafe? Because I swear to god..."
"He's safe, don't give me that shit. Come get him. He's sobbing and freaking out."
"On it. I have your location. I'm sending a car to come get him." Jack hung up and Axton sighed. He called Maya back.
"I called Jack... He's sending a car to get Milan..."
"Okay, do what you must to keep him safe." Maya hung up this time. Axton threw his echo to the couch and went back to the bathroom.
"Milan you're going home..." Axton said as he walked in. Milan was balled up tight in Veniv's arms, sleeping.
"He tired himself out with his tears. I'm not gonna wake him up, but where is he going?" Veniv was quiet with his words, as not to wake up his brother.
"Back to Jack. That man can take care of him more than we can. And I don't think Jack will be as bad to him as we thought he would be. Jack threatened to wipe out all of sanctuary if we so much as bruised him. Jack will be good for him and the moment I think otherwise I will personally kill Jack myself." Axton told the murderer.
"You better keep to that word. Because not only will Jack kill you but I will." Veniv joked with the shorter male. Veniv stood up and escorted everyone back into the living room. Axton picked his echo back up before sitting down. Milan stirred slightly in Veniv's arms as he sat down.
An hour or so passed by before there was a knock at the door. Axton got it because Milan was asleep against the sleeping Veniv. A mousey girl was standing there.
"I'm here to retrieve Milan Lindo." She said to the tall bandit.
"Are you here from Hyperion?" Axton asked, looking passed her at the slick black car that was here to get his new friend.
"That I am, sir." She smiled at Axton.
"Alright let me wake him up and I'll have him right out." Axton nodded to her and she stepped back to the car as Axton closed the door. He walked over to Milan and Veniv. He shook Milan gently.
"Milan a car is here to take you back to Jack." The older said. The blonde jumped up, despite his tired nature and hugged the taller male.
"Thank you so much. Is there anything I can do to thank you for keeping me safe?"
"Ask Jack for an echo and call me sometime, okay?" Axton smiled.
"I can do that." Milan returned the grin. Axton hugged the younger blonde tighter and pulled away. He kissed Milan. The hyperion worker was surprised by this and leaned out of the kiss.
"I am so sorry. I uh... Didn't mean to do that." Axton turned red.
"It's okay. Just don't do it again. I'll call you." Milan glided over to Veniv and kissed his head. "See ya later bro. Bye Axton. Tell Maya and Zer0 I said farewell." He was smiling from ear to ear. The blonde sauntered out the door and to the car.
He was going home.