When they got home Ryan headed straight up to the bedroom and shut the door. Troy stared at the stairs wondering what to do. He wanted to follow Ryan upstairs and just hold him close, but a part of him wondered maybe if he should give Ryan some time. He guessed Ryan was upstairs crying and he really didn't want Ryan to go through any of this alone, so he walked up to his room, he knocked on the door.

"Go away." Ryan's voice was filled with emotion that broke Troy to the bone.

"Nope." Troy said softly through the wooden door.

"Please, I just... I want to be on my own." Ryan's voice was pleading.

"I don't want you to be on your own right now, Ry." Troy said gently. "I want to hug you and make sure you're okay." When there wasn't an answer Troy opened the door, there on the bed lying with his back against the door curled in himself was Ryan. Troy sat on the bed as gently as he could and spooned against him, wrapping his arms around Ryan who was reluctant to fall into him.

"Please, I don't want to be weak any more Troy." Ryan sobbed.

"Hey, hey." Troy said soothingly. "You're not weak."

"All I do is cry." Ryan sniffed as he turned around. Troy used his thumb to wipe away Ryan's tears. He left his hand on his cheek softly rubbing his skin.

"You're not weak." Troy promised. "You're my brave boy." Ryan shook his head defiantly.

"Weak."

"You're not weak I can promise you that." Troy said as he combed his fingers through Ryan's hair. "You are my brave boy."

"But..."

"No, you are." Troy smiled softly. "Want to hear a story?" He asked gently, Ryan nodded. "When I was six years old. I was playing basketball with my dad, and I was showing off in front of Chad and dribbled the ball under my leg. But I tripped and fell, I broke my leg in two places."

"Ouch." Ryan smiled slightly.

"Yeah ouch." Troy said as he continued to play with Ryan's hair. "I thought I was weak because I had seen Chad do it so many times and he never ever hurt himself. So I cried a lot because I figured Chad wouldn't want to be my friend because I was weak. So despite the doctors orders I tried to walk on my own and I fell and yeah I sprained my wrist."

"Clever." Ryan laughed.

"The point is, I thought I was weak and instead of letting my leg heal it's self I was determined to show myself and everyone else that I wasn't weak." Ryan looked at Troy a little confused. "You need to let yourself heal, and you need to cry and you need to get angry and I guess you need to panic, but one day you're going to stop crying, you're not going to get angry and you're not going to panic as much."

"But crying makes you weak." Ryan insisted.

"Why do you think that?" Troy asked softly.

"Brett told me so." Troy could have sworn Ryan sounded exactly like a small child and it killed him. He wrapped his arms tighter around Ryan and held him close.

"It doesn't make you weak, Ry. Crying makes you stronger because you're dealing with everything."

"I don't like crying." Ryan said softly.

"I don't like you crying either," Troy smiled weakly. "But one day you're going to stop crying and you're going to be able to smile. But until then I'll always wipe away your tears." Ryan couldn't help but laugh. "Too cheesy?"

"Just a little." Ryan smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it." Troy smiled. Ryan leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek and snuggled closer.

"Troy..."

"Yeah, Ry?"

"I'm scared." Troy looked down at Ryan who was staring at him with wide eyes. "Brett's looking for me he was at my house."

"I wont let him hurt you ever again." Troy said and he knew it was a promise where to break it he would have to die first. "I'm not going to let any one hurt you ever again okay?"

"But what if he comes here?"

"Then I'll call the police and tell him where to go." Troy said, he knew he would do much more to Brett if he ever came near Ryan again. Ryan nodded and snuggled a little closer he felt safe in Troy's arms. "Come on down stairs."

"Why?"

"You need something to eat." Troy stated. Ryan nodded, he knew it would be no use arguing with Troy, not when the nurse had told him he had to make sure he had something to eat. "And don't forget if you ever feel like you're going to have a panic attack to take these." Troy said.

"Can you keep hold of them for me?" Ryan asked.

"Sure thing." Troy said and held out his hand for Ryan to take which he did and they made there way downstairs. Ryan sat at the table whilst Troy ordered for a pizza.

"I think the nurse said real food not take out." Ryan laughed. "I don't want to get fat."

"Ryan there's no flesh on your bones, it's going to take more than a few slices of pizza to make you fat." Troy said, "Eat an apple."

"Yes sir." Ryan laughed dryly as he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. "If I'm being forced to eat this rubbish then I think you should eat some fruit too. I mean it wouldn't kill you to eat some fruit every now and again."

"Fine." Troy said dramatically as he grabbed an apple too, he took a large bite and grinned. "Better?"

"Yes." Ryan smiled.

"Pizza will be here in half an hour, want to watch some television?" Troy asked and Ryan nodded. Troy sat down on the sofa and when Ryan sat next to him he put his arm around him holding him close.

"Thank you for today, Troy." Ryan said after a few minutes of silence as they let the television show absorb their attention.

"It's okay." Troy said as he linked his fingers with Ryan. "It really scared me. I didn't know what to do."

"You did the right thing," Ryan smiled. Troy looked down at him and smiled sheepishly. "I want you to know that... I'm... ready."

"Ready?" Troy asked a little confused.

"To be..." Ryan blushed. "With you."

"Ryan, it's okay if you're not I told you I can wait."

"I don't want to wait any more Troy." Ryan sighed. "I mean, I'm not saying I'm ready to sleep with you or anything like that."

"Good because I don't think I'm ready for that either." Troy smiled.

"But I'm ready to move on you know..."

"Yeah, I know." Troy smiled.

"So what now?" Ryan asked nervously.

"What ever you want. You're in charge here." Troy smiled, he couldn't describe how happy he was. He never thought that Ryan would be able to make him feel this happy.

"I think we should take it slow." Ryan said. "I like you a lot, and I owe you so much for everything you've done for me."

"You don't owe me anything, Ryan." Troy promised. Ryan smiled and leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. Even though they had kissed before, none of their kisses had ever been as long as this one. Troy kept to his promise and let Ryan control the kiss and when Ryan pulled away and snuggled back next to him, Troy let him because he was just happy that Ryan was finally ready to move on from what had happened. And even though he knew it was going to take time, he'd be there every step of the way, he'd be there.