Time flew by in the blink of an eye. The four graduated with honors among their peers. College was a short two months away. House renovations were going to be underway as soon as the in-law house was done in the back. Thankfully, the inside remodeling would only take 4 days. At that time, they had booked a rural cabin in the mountains along a river. It wasn't very far from the village Clorinde and Wriothesley grew up.
In private, Wriothesley had asked the girls to come a day late. He had a surprise planned for Neuvillette and wanted to spend some alone time with his partner. The girls agreed instantly the moment they saw the little black box in his hands.
Navia and Neuvillette had moved into the house entirely. It was so comfortable and natural for the group to be together all of the time. They shared plans, meals, joys and fears. Wriothesley had taken up going to the gym at least 4 days out of the week. It was already helping his anxiety and helping him sleep more soundly. He knew his light sleeper boyfriend approved of it.
It was a few weeks into their summer break. The group of 4 decided to go see a movie at the local theater. Wriothesley had never been to one, much to Navia's surprise. When a show all four of them would enjoy came available, they knew it was meant to be. The movie started around 6:30pm and ended at 9pm, leaving the group in the dark. The boys went outside to wait for the girls after. The lobby was becoming busy, causing some anxiety to rise within Wriothesleys gut. But the girls needed to use the restroom and there was a long line.
"Hey baby…" Wriothesley said, taking Neuvillette's hand softly.
"What's going on? Are you okay?" Neuvillette asked. Wriothesley pulled him under a lamp by the entrance and hugged him close.
"I'm not sure… I just have a really bad feeling." He admitted.
"It's okay… the girls will be out soon and we will go home. It's safe here, no worries." Neuvillette reassured, petting his boyfriend's hair softly. They stood like that for a little while before Wriothesley felt something hit his back.
"What the hell?" He mumbled, letting go of Neuvillette only to push him behind him, Wriothesley using his body as a shield. Every hair on his body was standing up. He was on high alert. He quickly noticed a small group picking up a few more rocks and approaching the pair.
"Ah there's my favorite punk." A scrawny man said, leading the group. There seemed to be 2 other guys with him, much bigger than the skinny, shaggy man leading them.
"Lucas…" Wriothesley growled, pushing Neuvillette farther behind him protectively. "I thought you still had at least 5 more years."
"Overcrowding really helped me out." He laughed. "How have you been? We've missed you dearly in the cell block. I see you made a friend."
"Leave him out of this. He has nothing to do with it." Wriothesley narrowed his eyes. "How the fuck did you find me here of all places?"
"Bold of you to assume we haven't been tailing you for a while." Lucas smirked. "Now I'm here for payback."
"What… you still pissed, I beat your ass every time you jumped me in jail?" Wriothesley laughed. "So you really thought showing up here would give you an advantage with a few thugs?"
"No, the advantage is right behind you."
Wriothesley hadn't noticed someone in the bush. He should have. He will beat himself up till the day he died for what happened next. A thug appeared from the bush behind him, quickly overpowering Neuvillette and pinning him down to the ground. Wriothesley spun around quickly, eyes wide in horror. The other group took advantage to take a chokehold on Wriothesley and took a hold of his wrists.
Lucas appeared in front of Wriothesley and grabbed his face. "I knew you would have a weakness somewhere. The iron giant really needs to be shown that he's nothing but an ant. Lift him up." he motioned for the thug holding Neuvillette to hoist him upward. They moved the two away from the light and into the shadows. As soon as they were concealed, Lucas punched Wriothesley multiple times in the face. His ring sliced open his cheek right under his eye. He flinched at the pain but did his best to keep a stern, intimidating face.
Lucas approached Neuvillette and inspected him. "My you did pick a pretty one, punk. He's rather feminine though that's surprising." he smirked before beginning to unbutton Neuvillette's shirt, trying to get a rise out of Wriothesley.
"Leave him out of this!" Wriothesley growled. "He's innocent in all this; he barely knows anything about my past!"
Wriothesley was in a tough spot… there was a chance he could violate his parole if he fought back. But he wasn't sure if he could take all 4 of these guys. They also have a good grip on him. But they were going to hurt Neuvillette. He was for sure coming out of this with trauma.
"Whatcha gonna do?" Lucas laughed, finishing opening the shaking man's shirt. "You're gonna watch me violate your cute little boyfriend then i'm going to kill you plain and simp-"
He was cut off by the sound of a scream. Wriothesley had quickly lifted his leg and swiped out the legs of the man holding his hands. He used the opportunity to grab a hold of the man's arms around his neck and flung him over his head. They slammed into each other as they fell to the ground. In times like this, Wriothesley was glad he made the choice to bulk up and be as strong as he was.
Wriothesley moved quickly, taking out the man holding Neuvillette and knocking the thug unconscious with a swift punch to the head. Wriothesley winced as he felt his knuckle crack but ignored the pain.
"Just you now Lucas." Wriothesley glared. "You really thought you could get away with this?"
"I'm not worried." He laughed. He threw a large rock at Wriothesley, the other catching it in his hand.
"A rock really?" Wriothesley laughed. "You dumb son of a-" He was cut off by Lucas charging him and a sharp pain on his side that was oddly familiar. He looked down and saw a handle protruding from his side. Fuck that was a knife…
Wriothesley didn't have time to waste, the adrenaline was keeping him going. He quickly grabbed Lucas's shoulders and kneed him in the gut. He quickly moved to behind him and put him in a chokehold.
"You ever come near me or my family again, you will be body number three." Wriothesley whispered. "I will beat you every fight. Stop wasting my time. You didn't even have the balls to kill me."
Wriothesley dropped the thug when he was on the verge of passing out. He heard sirens in the distance. Shit… someone must have heard the commotion. He didn't want to go back to jail for defending himself but what choice did he have. He wasn't even sure what came over him. The adrenaline was wearing off fast. The wound was beginning to burn, causing the dark haired man to collapse on his knees. A red spot was forming on the side of his shirt.
"Wrio!" Neuvillette scrambled to his fallen boyfriend. "Holy shit… what in god's name just happened!?"
"I'll explain later." Wriothesley gritted his teeth. "But there's a chance I'm going to get arrested. This definitely violated my parole."
"No sweetheart, you were just defending me." Neuvillette reassured. "Everything will be okay. Can you breathe with me?"
Wriothesley reached up and gently buttoned Neuvillette's shirt back up. He leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss. "I love you so much, Neuvillette. It's not my first time being stabbed. I will be okay. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you got involved in this. I never meant anything like this to happen."
At that moment, the sirens arrived. It appeared to be two police officers and an ambulance. Neuvillette quickly noticed Navia running over to them. Clorinde was directing the police, knowing who exactly these thugs were and showing them the small video she took of them assaulting the boys.
Two paramedics rushed over to Wriothesley, who was starting to fade in and out from the bleeding and pain. They confirmed Neuvillette was stable and loaded the wounded man into the ambulance quickly. A police officer approached Neuvillette and Navia. The officer took their statements in great detail. It turned out Navia and Clorinde had seen the commotion from inside the theater and instantly called the police. Thanks to Clorinde's quick thinking, she recorded a video of the boys being pinned down and attacked, providing evidence that Wriothesley was acting purely in self defense.
He wasn't sure what time it was when he woke up. It was a dusty gray outside, much different than he last remembered. The room smelled too sterile, like cleaning products. The bed felt too stiff and awkward to be his own. There was a constant beep that was giving Wriothesley a migraine. And the burning on his side…
"Oh god please don't tell me this is Hell…" He mumbled softly, eyes blurry. He blinked a few more times to allow the room to focus. It looked like he was in a hospital room. He looked to his left and saw Neuvillette sitting in a chair, his head laying on his bedside fast asleep. To his right, he saw Clorinde asleep on a bench in the window with Navia using her lap as a pillow. He sat up gingerly but gasped in pain.
The gasp woke up his light sleeper boyfriend instantly. "Sweetheart?" Neuvillette asked sleepily. "Honey, don't move around too much, you'll break open your stitches."
"Neuvi…?" Wriothesley looked at his now awake partner, barely processing his speech. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.
"It's okay." Neuvillette moved forward and took his boyfriend's hand. "You're in the hospital just waking up from surgery. It's really early in the morning so why don't you go back to sleep?" the dark haired man nodded without a fight, simply exhausted from the anesthesia still in his system.
The next morning, Wriothesley bolted awake from a dead sleep due to a nightmare. He was covered in sweat and was so achy. The world was spinning and he felt nauseous. He felt a pressure on his shoulder and a soft voice.
"Honey it's okay." Neuvillette hushed. "It's just me in here. You're safe. The girls went to get coffee. It's only been a few hours since you woke up last."
Wriothesley settled down quickly after he realized it was his beloved boyfriend. There was some sunlight coming into the room this time. He was also much more aware and awake this time. But oh did he feel the pain! He quickly grabbed his side with a gasp.
"Shit." He panted. "They did surgery on the wound didn't they?"
"Yes. It was quite a large knife. You also got 6 stitches on your cheek and have a boxer fracture in your knuckle." Neuvillette reported sadly. "I'll call a doctor for more pain meds."
"Please don't." Wriothesley asked. "I don't want them."
"But Wrio you have a literal stab wound. Please? It doesn't need to be a narcotic I'm sure." Neuvillette pleaded. The other man nodded in agreement, still too weak to fight back.
"No worries kid, I already talked to them." An older man said in the doorway. He was quite tall and broad, appearing to be in his late 50s. He wore a brown suit without a tie and had ashy blond hair. He held up a large travel cup before entering the room. "I brought you some lemon tea. I was hoping it would be light enough for you to enjoy."
"Oh thank you." Wriothesley nodded, accepting the cup. "Oh um… Neuvillette, this is my parole officer, Claude."
"Nice to meet you kid. I've heard a lot about you." Claude waved curtly before sitting down. "I passed Clorinde and a blonde girl I'm assuming to be Navia in the lobby. They said they would be up in a little while."
"So you're here to arrest me?" Wriothesley sighed.
"Kid… do you really think I'd bring you tea and visit you at 7am if I was arresting you?" Claude raised a brow. "You did nothing wrong Wriothesley. Yeah you coulda went without breaking some bones and almost suffocating Lucas but he also stabbed you so it was justified."
"But I violated my parole?" Wriothesley blinked.
"No you didn't." He reassured. "You got attacked. You got jumped and they intended on killing you and probably killing Neuvillette as well. As far as the justice system and i see it, you guys were victims. The only thing I ask of you is you testify in court against the guys."
"I can testify…" Wriothesley took a deep breath. "I fully expected to be arrested again for that…"
"I told you sweetheart." Neuvillette smiled. "The only reason you even laid your hands on those guys was to save me. It wasn't like you started it. You took a lot of damage yourself, they got off lucky."
"Listen to your boyfriend." Claude nodded. "But I did want to let you know that I'm adjusting your parole schedule to phone calls for the next month and a half. I don't wanna stress out your recovery."
"I appreciate it sir." Wriothesley gave a weak smile. "Thank you for letting me know the good news."
"Of course kid. Heal up fast and enjoy your trip next month. Make sure you don't overdo it." Claude waved before taking off, leaving the boys alone.
"You can ask Neuvi." Wriothesley said gently, squeezing his hand. "I'm awake enough."
"Who were those guys last night?" Neuvillette began.
"Lucas was the only one I recognized. He was in prison with me a majority of the time. He was my cell mate at one point but he tried to kill me. After that he made it his goal to attack me and try to kill me again and again. I think it was because i was in for murder charges whereas he was in for a lesser charge. But it was a weird vendetta." Wriothesley explained.
"Why did he keep calling you punk?" Neuvillette asked.
"Oh that's a term for a gay man in prison. A lot of guys are gay for the stay in jail so to label whose who I often get called punk." Wriothesley shrugged.
"Is there anyone else who is going to come after you?" Neuvillette was worried about that aspect.
"No. I was very quiet in prison and kept to myself. I don't know why Lucas was so obsessed with me. I also didn't expect him to be out this soon." Wriothesley kissed his partner's hand. "They didn't injure you did they?"
"No, I'm alright. Just some bruises on my wrists and some scrapes from being tackled. They checked me over last night after rushing you into surgery." Neuvillette said. "Wriothesley I was so scared last night… I didn't know if I should fight or let them have their way with me or anything. If you hadn't been so swift on your feet…" he trailed off.
"I'm so sorry you got dragged into my past." Wriothesley said. "You did the right thing last night. I promise I will always be there to protect you. Even if it is my final act in this world."
Neuvillette kissed him softly. "You are my entire world honey."
The girls returned shortly after, happy to see their friend awake and talking. The nurse adjusted Wriothesley's pain meds to a lower dose so he didn't fall asleep and become locked in a nightmare again. The doctor reported he could leave in the morning since he was healing well given the circumstances.
Recovery was hard for the dark haired man. He tried not to feel guilty about Neuvillette being wrapped up in the whole thing but it didn't work. The first night home from the hospital was the worst. Wriothesley didn't even want Neuvillette to be in a different room as him. When he left the room, Wriothesley got a terrible feeling of dread. Neuvillette truly did understand though and he wanted to be close to his boyfriend anyway.
A week went by and Wriothesley was finally on the upswing of recovery. He could get in and out of bed easier without help. He had motivation to do things again. He also felt less anxiety about his partner being out of his sight. He stood in the mirror, rubbing his scruffy face. He didn't have the energy all week to shave to today was going to be the challenge day.
"You good?" Clorinde asked, leaning in the bathroom doorway.
"Yeah… just enjoying the beard while it's still here." He joked.
"You know you can keep it if you really want to. No warden is here to tell you that you need to be clean cut." Clorinde offered.
"I like it better without. I already look a lot older than I am… a beard makes me look like I'm 35 already." Wriothesley shrugged. "Maybe in the police force when I need to go undercover."
"Are you going to be okay to go to the cabin? I can move the construction to later." She asked.
"Yeah I will be fine." Wriothesley smiled. "Plus I'm really looking forward to my night alone with Neuvillette."
"I bet you are." Clorinde smirked. "It's going to be a good time. Navia and I are staying at her brother's house while you guys have your alone night and I'm hoping to get them to buy us a bottle of wine."
"It'll be for you guys to enjoy." Wriothesley had no interest in drinking. Plus if he had a surprise test he may get in trouble with his parole officer.
"It's exactly for Navia and I to enjoy." Clorinde wiggled her eyebrows. She left her friend alone to shave and to finalize his plans for the cabin. He really hoped it would go well. He was extremely nervous to ask. He wondered if Neuvillette would say yes.
He laid in bed afterward, lost in thought when he felt the bed compress next to him. He opened his eyes to see his boyfriend leaning in for a soft kiss on the cheek. Wriothesley smiled.
"You like my soft face again?" He chuckled.
"I honestly liked the beard. It complimented your face well. But I also love your face like this." Neuvillette smiled. "I'm glad to see you out of bed."
"Me too. I'm sorry I was so clingy all this week. I'm not sure what came over me. My anxiety just devoured me I guess." Wriothesley sighed.
"It's fine sweetheart." Neuvillette kissed him softly. "I know it was out of a place of love. And just think soon we will get to relax at a secluded cabin on the lake."
"You have no idea how excited I am for that." Wriothesley grinned. He pictured the small black box tucked away in his art box. He couldn't wait to see how that silver and aquamarine ring would look on Neuvillette's finger.