Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. Sorry this took so long. I had unexpected business to take care of lol.

"Dylan," said Marco, knocking lightly on his door. He hoped the older boy would answer for him, though he probably wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to.

"Dylan, it's Marco. Please open up," he said hopefully.

Marco could hear him getting off his bed and nearing toward the door. He held his breath, still feeling that same nerve-racking feeling every time he saw him. Given the current situation, it was even worse.

"Marco," he said with a curt nod.

"Can I come in?" he asked, fidgeting.

Dylan looked at the state of him, forgiving him almost instantly. He sighed. "All right."

Marco walked into the room with him, taking his usual seat on the bed. Dylan sat down next to him, patting his knees awkwardly, waiting for Marco to begin.

"Dylan, you know me so well," said Marco nervously. "Yet, you're the only person I have trouble talking to."

Dylan put his hand comfortingly on Marco's shoulder. "You can talk to me about anything," said Dylan. "Even Corey…"

"I don't want to talk about Corey," said Marco quietly, looking down. "I feel so guilty just being here without him knowing my whereabouts."

"That's a problem, Marco," said Dylan cautiously. "Don't feel guilty," he instructed, allowing Marco to lean into him.

Dylan gently ran his hands through Marco's hair, enjoying the silence. "I'm sorry," he said suddenly.

Dylan shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You were scared to blame him," said Dylan.

Marco pulled himself away, turning toward Dylan instead. "But you were just trying to help. You always try to help me," he said, smiling, "and I never tell you how much I appreciate it."

"Well, you know how I feel about you," said Dylan, shrugging. Marco was so close, but he knew better than to try anything given the situation.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" asked Marco sadly. "Corey would have never come into my picture."

"I didn't think you were ready," said Dylan, looking down, considerably embarrassed. He'd never felt such strong feelings for any other guy.

"Well," said Marco, moving closer, "I was."

Dylan's mind shut off; he wasn't thinking. All he knew was he had to kiss Marco at that moment. If not, he wasn't sure if he'd get through the day.

Dylan leaned closer still, so that his lips were merely an inch apart, finally closing the gap between them. He felt Marco immediately respond by holding onto him tightly. The two of them forgot about everything for a moment, everything but each other.

Marco pulled away, his eyes still closed. "Wow," he whispered. He shook his head, coming back to reality. "I shouldn't be doing this," he said.

"Marco, I want you to call him…to tell him you can't be with him anymore," said Dylan.

Marco finally opened his eyes. He shook his head quickly. "No, Dylan," he said angrily. "I can't believe you'd—"

"I'm not doing this so we can be together," said Dylan, taking his hands in his. "I'm asking you to do this to protect yourself."

Marco thought it over. He could be with Dylan, someone who meant so much to him, but he'd have to give up someone else he loved. If he broke up with Corey, he would be able to live without all the control, though he liked to think that his friends only imagined the severity of his beatings.

However, if he broke up with Corey, what would Corey do? Would he be upset, angry, murderously so? Would Marco ever see him again? More importantly, would he be happy or unhappy if he didn't? He was so scared.

"So scared," he mumbled, moving in closer to Dylan. Dylan instinctively wrapped his arms around him, kissing his head.

"I'm here. Don't be scared," he said.

"Don't…just don't," started Marco, unsure of his words. "I want to call Corey."

Dylan went to his desk to grab his cell phone, handing it to him, and then quickly resumed the previous position.

Since Dylan's arm was around him, he could feel Marco's body shaking against his own. He ran his fingers soothingly along Marco's arm, trying to subside the tremors. Marco was still afraid to make that call, but sitting there being calmed by Dylan was, well, it was the first time he'd felt truly cared for in a long time.

"Hi, Corey," said Marco quietly. Dylan could feel his body beginning to shake even more. "It's Marco."

"Hey, Marco," said Corey nervously. "Your mom didn't…call the police on me, did she?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm not home. Core…Corey, I—I can't," he closed his eyes, leaning further into Dylan, "do this with you anymore."

Dylan quietly shushed him, holding him tightly as he started to cry. "I can't let you…let you control me anymore," he said, swallowing painfully. The last thing he needed was Corey hearing him cry.

"Marco," he said, "don't do this," he pleaded. "You don't mean it."

Marco nodded, even though Corey couldn't see him. "I do," he said softly, hoping that Corey didn't notice how broken he was.

"Then, why are you crying?" he asked. "You are upset about doing this," he said confidently. "Therefore, you shouldn't. You know you need me, Marco, and I need you."

"No, I don't," said Marco, though he didn't believe what he was saying. He turned to look at the older boy who was holding onto him so lovingly. "And if I do, I need to break away, Corey. I'm…I'm afraid of you."

Dylan knew how hard it was for him to talk about this with Corey, and he knew how difficult it also was for him to admit that he was afraid. Marco liked to pretend to be brave for everyone. Dylan was glad he was finally able to see that it was okay to show his weakness sometimes.

"I can't be with someone who tries to force me to give up his own life," said Marco, still crying harder than ever. "I just can't."

"I'll stop," Corey promised. "I didn't realize I was hurting you so bad. You never said anything." Marco understood that it was true; he hadn't. It still didn't excuse him, though.

"You should have known. Corey, you made me into someone I'm not," said Marco. "You took away so much from me that I don't know if I can ever be back to normal."

"I'm sorry," said Corey. "I really am. Please don't do this," he begged.

Marco knew that he was sorry for the moment, but within a few hours, he would be angry with Marco for breaking up with him. Marco couldn't let himself give in, and he was happy Dylan was with him because Dylan wouldn't let him.

"Corey, I can't see you anymore, be around you anymore…and I'm not sure I love you anymore," he said, feeling his heart break as he said it. What did Corey think of him now, and why—why did he have to care so much what he thought, anyway?

"I love you, Marco," said Corey. Marco prayed to himself that he didn't hear him crying. Corey had problems, and Marco couldn't deal with them, so why did he have to feel so badly about breaking it off with him?

"No, you don't," said Marco, sounding confident about something for the first time. "You don't love me, Corey. You just want me as some possession. You want to own me."

Dylan couldn't help but feel proud of Marco for saying that. Marco was beginning to understand that Corey's 'love' wasn't real. He hugged him, urging him to go on. Marco smiled slightly.

"I have to go," he said. "Don't call back."

"Why are you doing this to me?" asked Corey angrily. "After everything we've been through, you can't just leave me. Damnit, Marco!"

"Don't yell at me," said Marco, his voice becoming weak again. If Corey started to scream at him, Dylan knew Marco wouldn't be able to fight back. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Don't be sorry," said Dylan, warning Marco that, by saying that, he was putting fuel in the fire. "As long as you feel bad, he controls you."

"Listen to me, Marco," said Corey threateningly. "Do not speak with that…guy. He is putting insane ideas into your head." Marco bit his lip.

"Corey—"

"No more fucking nonsense!" Corey screamed. Dylan took the phone away from him, turning it off.

"Marco," he said tenderly, letting go of him.

"That's not going to be the end of it, Dylan," said Marco, looking down at the floor. "He's really mad."

"I know," Dylan agreed, nodding. "Listen, you have to stay with one of us until we figure out what to do with Corey. He sort of…made a threat about well, you and me."

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Just promise you'll be with someone at all times until we get some kind of order against him?"

Marco shrugged. "I don't know if I can do that."

"Marco, stay here tonight…please," he said, changing the subject.

Marco smiled slightly, despite the frightening situation going on around him. "Okay," he said, enjoying this newfound feeling of being loved unconditionally.

Author's Note: Next chapter will come sooner than this one did, and I'm about to start the next chapter of The Definition of Happiness. Please review :)