Warning – homophobic language, some violence, one sexual assault

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After lunch, Dave and Matt had to separate. Especially that day, Dave hated being away from Matt. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen to Matt. It could very easily have been Dave's anxiety telling him this. Nevertheless, Dave could very easily take care of himself, but his protective nature just assumed Matt couldn't. God, he was so in love with Matt!

Dave went through his normal routine, amongst all the stares, glares, silence, and an autograph or two. In seventh period American government class, one of the football jocks nodded to him, but didn't smile. Everybody kept their distance. And Dave didn't like it.

Eighth period sociology was his final class of the day. It was also one of two classes Dave had with Azimio. He sat beside his best friend in the classes he shared with Azimio and hoped it would stay that way. Azimio had yet to speak to Dave at all. Upon entering the classroom, Dave was nervous. He was, by then, used to all the gawking. It still bothered him of course, but he had strangely grown accustomed to it.

Azimio hadn't arrived yet.

As Dave sat in his seat, he fired a quick text to Matt, ensuring he was alright. The reply came back pretty quickly – "Im fine grizzly. Go bck to class. Put ur fone away." Dave couldn't help but smile a little.

Dave was still smiling when his peripheral vision picked up the presence of a certain African American football player and friend. Dave froze. He wanted to talk to Azimio badly. But he knew if he were to get any headway with his best friend, he had to also give him his space. Years and years of friendship taught Dave that when Azimio was angry, he needed his space to think things over.

This was no exception.

He chanced a glance at his best friend. Azimio was wearing his letterman jacket just as Dave was. But Azimio was looking down at his textbooks, intentionally not looking at Dave. Dave was hurt, but he expected this behavior out of Azimio. So, with a heavy sigh, he gave Azimio his space.

The class began. And droned on. And on. Dave spaced out. The teacher was speaking animatedly about the Great Depression or something when Dave's cell phone suddenly buzzed.

Dave didn't expect a text from anybody. Usually, Matt was the only person in Dave's life who texted during the day and he just texted him. Deftly, he pulled his cell phone out, burying it in his text book. He deliberately opened his cell phone and read the text.

Dave half smiled.

He quickly closed his cell phone and snapped his head towards Azimio. The pudgy African American looked at Dave. He wasn't smiling, but there was a strange, almost comforting look in his eyes.

Azimio nodded to Dave. Dave nodded back, still with that half smile on his face. Then, Dave put his cell phone away. He had to turn the page in his textbook to keep up with the teacher's boring lecture.

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The school day was over. Dave, now in his own little, protective cocoon away from the hostile stares, was deep in thought over the text and Matt. As Dave was rounding the corner, he saw a group of girls approaching him. The girls seemed to look at him pleasantly. Dave smiled.

"Hi Dave. Nice game!" one of the girls said.

"Thanks!" Dave said graciously.

He then passed the girls. He didn't know any of them, but they certainly knew him. Everybody did. Then again, after this morning's revelation, he was sure everybody knew him for the other reason. Dave was happy, despite the slight bittersweet feelings.

As Dave approached Matt, he noticed that Matt had his back turned towards him, facing his locker. Dave couldn't help but admire Matt's body from behind. Dark, primal thoughts flooded his brain. Matt's jeans were so tight that every luscious curve on his body hugged in the right places. Dave could've drooled over the slight curve in the backs of Matt's thigh and the pronounced butt cheeks. Dave licked his lips.

But all of those lustful thoughts came crashing down when he arrived beside Matt. Suddenly, Matt jumped defensively staring wide eyed at Dave. Then, he relaxed when he saw Dave there. Dave was immediately alarmed.

He saw the terror in Matt's eyes.

Something happened.

"Matt?" Dave started, completely worried. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Matt, eyes still bulged, just stared at Dave for a moment before turning back to his locker. He grabbed a few books, his hand shaking slightly. Dave moved just a bit closer, but Matt seemed to angle his body away from Dave. Dave frowned, even more worried.

Matt shut his locker and turned away from Dave, heading towards the student parking lot. But Dave grabbed Matt's upper arm as gently but as firmly as he could.

"Matt?" Dave asked, very, very concerned.

Still, Matt said nothing. With his back to Dave, Matt tried again to take a step towards the parking lot. But Dave held him firmly.

"Matt? Please?" Dave quietly pleaded.

Matt stopped trying to walk down the hall, trying to get away from Dave. Defeated, Matt slowly turned around, facing Dave. Dave could've collapsed right there. Matt's eyes were puffy and a little red. His body was slumped and his head hung a little lowly.

Something bad happened. Very bad.

"What happened?" Dave gently asked, a little anger to his tone. But Matt, knowing his boyfriend inside and out, easily picked up on the anger.

"N-nothing, grizz..." Matt said weakly.

"Bullshit nothing." Dave replied, firmly.

Upon Dave's strong words, Matt's composure showed its cracks. Little shakes throughout Matt's body became shockwaves, only to have Matt regain his composure. And then, the shaking began again. Dave was a flurry of fear, compassion, and anger.

Dave quickly looked around. Not many students were left in the halls. Most students were eager to end their Monday at school and get the hell out. He concluded that they were alone and safe. Dave then returned his worried gaze to his boyfriend.

Matt just stood near his shut locker, his whole existence hovering like a ghost in the hall. Dave absolutely hated what he was seeing. He immediately went to Matt's side and placed a firm, football arm around him. He quickly regretted his actions. Once his arm made contact, Matt jumped in fear, shooting a quick and terrified look at Dave, only to regain his composure and fall into Dave's arm.

Dave's brow couldn't have been more furrowed.

"Come on, baby. Let's go home." Dave said.

.

"I can't believe this happened! I can't tell Dave. He'll go crazy!"

Matt felt Dave rubbing small circles on his back. The boys were in Matt's room lying together on Matt's bed, with a concerned Julius on the floor wagging his tail lightly. Waiting patiently on his doggy bed, Julius sensed something was wrong between the boys.

The drive back to Matt's house was silent. Matt was so upset about what happened earlier at school he couldn't speak; he didn't want to talk about what happened when Dave tried to ask. It was too traumatic when it was still so fresh in his mind. Matt was absolutely right – what happened earlier in the day would send Dave into a blind rage. Matt knew Dave would lose everything if he were to do something to the people that were responsible for how Matt was behaving.

Dave hated seeing his boyfriend this way. It pained him so much that Matt wouldn't tell him what was bothering him. But Dave decided not to question him any more for a while and comfort the love of his life any way he knew how.

Whispering "I love you" every now and again, Dave touched and comforted Matt. He knew Matt would appreciate if he would (or could) respond. Dave really just wished Matt would say something, anything to go on. But Matt didn't say a word and hadn't for a while. This alarmed Dave that Matt was wide eyed staring into space, unresponsive. That was so not how Matt usually behaved. He wanted Matt to open up but his boyfriend refused. Dave missed Matt's sparkling, lively blue eyes.

After several moments of this exchange, Dave couldn't take it anymore. He needed to do something not just for Matt but because he was going nuts himself. His boyfriend was being so closed off. He came up with something to try to help his boyfriend talk to him.

"Come here boy." Dave said quietly.

Dave called out to Julius. Dave gingerly got up from where he was placed beside Matt to greet his dog, careful not to disturb Matt. It didn't matter anyway. A blinding rainstorm could've crashed in at any moment and Matt still wouldn't have moved.

Dave frowned sadly at Matt. Then he turned his attention away before he had a chance to cry at the sight of his boyfriend's current state. He looked away as fast as he could before the tears would come.

Julius determinedly got up from his doggy bed and waddled over to Dave. He licked Dave's hand gently while he whimpered a few times in Matt's direction. Dave smiled at the animal and rewarded Julius's cuteness by scratching him behind the ear.

Dogs are so smart.

In order to give Matt some more support and some protection that he isn't alone Dave ordered Julius to sit beside Matt to play with his boyfriend while still being on the floor. Julius obeyed his master. Dave wanted to see if Matt would even resist the cuteness and playfulness that was Julius.

Julius on the other hand didn't want to stay on the floor for long. So, to Dave's surprise, he got this bright idea to jump happily on Matt's bed alongside his "human" and Matt. Dave eyes bulged wide as Julius's big body made the bed shake when he jumped with ease so fast before Dave even had a chance to stop him. Normally it was forbidden for Julius to be on Matt's bed when he and Matt were together but Dave let his dog on because these were special circumstances. This was for Matt.

"Hey Matt, look who's up here to say 'hey'" Dave said smiling, but immediately it faded when he turned to Matt who still wasn't paying attention. Matt was still in his own little world staring blankly into space.

Julius crawled up next to Matt expecting to get his ears rubbed like Dave had done but Matt didn't even bother to look at Julius. He wasn't aware of his presence.

"Come on baby, please say something?" Dave asked helplessly. Dave couldn't do this anymore; he felt mad, angry and wanted so desperately to fix whatever was going on.

Julius knew something was wrong too. So he licked Matt's hand softly and then nudged it gently, wanting some attention. When Matt still didn't do anything but lie still, Julius turned his head toward Dave, whimpering sadly. Dave wanted to cry so hard and he came close to it at that very moment when he realized that not even Julius could fix what was wrong with Matt. Julius normally cheered him up when he was upset. What could make Matt happy? What was going on in his brain?

It was breaking Dave's heart to see his sweet, wonderful boyfriend so broken.

.

Matt woke up with a start, sitting up a little. He would've bolted upright if it wasn't for Dave's bear-like arm around his waist. Matt was panting a little. His nightmare woke him up fully.

Groggily at first, Dave woke up too. After a second of getting oriented, Dave immediately focused on his boyfriend. He gently squeezed Matt's stomach. He was lying behind Matt, protectively spooning him. Julius was at the foot of the bed behind Dave, watching the boys.

Matt quickly turned around and buried his face in Dave's chest. Groaning a little, Dave pulled Matt closer, gently rubbing his lower back. He was now frustrated that his boyfriend still wasn't talking. But, whatever it was that bothered him, Dave knew that Matt had to have gone through something terrible. It pushed Dave's patience to its maximum level.

"I tried to fight them off…." Matt quietly said. Dave stopped rubbing Matt's lower back, focused solely on the words coming out of Matt's mouth.

"W-who?" Dave asked quietly. Dave was afraid. He knew something bad would happen. And he was right.

"There were about four or five of them." Matt slowly replied.

Dave slowly and gently scooted back in the bed to look into Matt's eyes. As he scooted back, Julius blocked his legs. Slightly annoyed, he ordered the massive Rottweiler off the bed. Slowly, reluctantly, Julius hopped off the bed, but instead of going to his dogbed, he waddled over to the floor directly below Matt and flopped down. If Matt wanted to, he could've dropped his arm over the edge of the bed and touched Julius' back.

"Baby, what happened?" Dave asked softly.

Matt paused. He knew he had to tell Dave eventually, but he had to do it when he was ready.

"In between eighth and ninth periods, I went to the bathroom." Matt quietly began. "I had to take a piss."

Matt paused. Dave did not like where this was headed. He placed a heavy hand on Matt's hip, giving him support. But when his hand made contact, Matt flinched.

Dave's brow furrowed. He removed his hand completely.

"When I was washing my hands, about four or five guys came in. Some were wearing letterman jackets." Matt said.

Dave really didn't like where this was going.

"Go on." Dave quietly yet reluctantly urged.

"'Well, look. It's the faggot that turned David Karofsky. You're such a fucking faggot!' o-one of them s-said." Matt said, struggling to get all the words out.

"'Just leave me alone. You know who my boyfriend is. He'll kick your ass.' I said to them. B-but it d-didn't matt-matter." Matt stammered. Dave took a chance and slowly reached across Matt's body, placing a steadying hand on his back. Matt knew it was coming and allowed it.

"'Fuck off, faggot!' one of them said," Matt unsteadily began, "and then he slammed the faucet off, grabbed my arms and s-slammed me into the w-wall!"

Dave tensed. He was immediately angry, but sympathetic as well. Matt was outnumbered and realized that if it were him, he could do very little to stop the assault too. So, instead, Dave rubbed Matt's lower back with an increased intensity, urging Matt to continue.

"The wall h-hurt s-so baaad." Matt wailed, crying loudly. Matt continued to cry as Dave continued rubbing circles in his lower back. Dave wanted to cry and punch something.

"'Karofsky was fine until you came along faggot! one of them said." Matt said resolutely. "That's when I was grabbed by another and slammed into the wall again."

Dave immediately stopped rubbing his back, afraid he'd hurt Matt. He thought about lifting Matt's shirt to see if there were any bruises, but that was not the time.

"No, keep doing that Dave. Please." Matt asked desperately.

Dave resumed rubbing circles into Matt's lower back, but more gently.

"And then, the jerks left…except for one jock." Matt quietly said. "He stayed behind when the others left."

Matt then lifted his eyes to face Dave. There was so much sadness in Matt's eyes.

"He said, 'you like this?' and he…rubbed my crotch!" Matt screamed. "And then he smiled and said 'there's more where that came from' and left."

Matt dropped his head, screaming and crying into Dave's chest.

Dave was a flood of emotions – severely angry, depressed, compassionate, guilt-ridden, and finally, furious.

"Who were they?" Dave asked, trying his best to hide his rage. He didn't even wait to ask the question for Matt to calm down.

Matt tried his best to regain his composure but wasn't doing a very good job. Dave amazingly waited, letting patience win over his suppressed rage. If he was going to get any answers, he knew he'd have to wait. Finally, Matt was able to answer his question.

"I only recognized one of the guys." Matt replied. And then, quite unexpectedly, Matt chuckled.

"And he didn't even do anything! He just watched and laughed!" Matt yelled.

"Who?!" Dave roared.

Matt flinched, but responded anyway.

"R-Robbie Dombrow-browski."

Dave's hand involuntarily turned into a fist along Matt's back.

"No, Dave." Matt warned, now looking up into Dave's angry eyes. "No. Don't do anything to him or anyone associated with him."

Dave looked down at him, a helpless fury in his eyes.

"Why not?" Dave whined.

Matt took the moment to try to calm his boyfriend down by gently stroking the side of Dave's face. If it calmed Dave down any, he couldn't tell.

"Because even though he watched and laughed and didn't do anything to stop it, he wasn't one of the guys who called me names, or threw me…or…." Matt couldn't speak anymore.

"Matt," Dave authoritatively began, "this has to stop. We have to report it!"

Matt didn't say anything.

"Who…." Dave carefully began, "touched you?"

Matt paused, thinking it over.

"I don't know his name."

Dave closed his eyes. He couldn't identify all of the feelings going through him. He just knew he felt bad. And angry. So angry.

"We have to do something, Ma-"

"I know, grizzly. I know."

Matt simply nuzzled further into Dave's broad chest, letting himself fall away from the world. Julius watched them, curiously.

"Thank God" Matt said, "Sebastian got there when he did."

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