Safe Place (Remington Leith)

5.

Remington's at Andy's home alone like every other morning. He knows he has to find a solution because he can't stay forever here but for now both of them agree that it's better not to leave the younger one alone. Accepting the fact that his father is in prison is difficult. Remington is relieved but feels guilty anyways: at the end he was his own dad and now his mom has no one who take care of her. On the other hand now he can live his life without the fear of coming back home. He never thought this would happen. After washing the dishes, Remington sits on the sofa with Andy's guitar and starts playing some songs: a few covers and a few of his own. He wants to finish them so he can have Andy listen to his work which he is pretty proud of. In his music Remington puts his whole heart and it all about a specific moment of his life, that's why they are mostly sad and dark. One is particularly difficult to sing and he always ends up midway crying. It talks about his father in an implied way and the chorus is about him wanting to take his life but not being able to that. He doubts he would be able to play it to Andy but he'll try. The strings are now smooth under his fingertips, Remington remembers when he first started playing the guitar: it would hurt because he wasn't used to the toughness of the strings. It reminds him of the torture he had to endure. At first every slap or hit from his father would hurt, not to talk about the abuses, but the more time passed the more he got used to it and, even though it still did hurt, it wasn't as painful as the first times, it was almost fine. But as much as Remington wants to appear like the strong kid who isn't marked by what happened, Andy knows it's not the case. He can see it in the way the younger jumps if he approaches him without a warning, or how he puts his arms in front of his face if Andy rises his hands for any reason, like to protect himself from a hit that would never, ever, come from the older man. And all of this, well, it saddens Andy so much he cannot put it in words. He just wants to make Remington happy. As you already know, Andy is not one who is very at ease with his feelings but, by now, he knows he feels something for the boy. He loves everything about him: his smile that lights up the entire room, his eyes that are full with pain and hope, and also the way he speaks, so quietly and how he screams in a high pitched voice when he tickles him. Thinking about it, Andy has to admit that he loves the boy and even if he won't find the courage to actually say it out loud at least he is not hiding it from himself anymore.

Too caught up in his music, Remington doesn't here the door being opened in the near room. He doesn't hear the steps of a man walking up to where he is right now. But he does see his father when he enters his bedroom with an angry expression on his face. Remington freezes. How can this be possible, he is in jail. <<Hello my son>> The man says grinning. <<Missed me?>> The boy swallows loudly and tightens his grip on the guitar. He looks around and searches for a way to escape his father and then run away as fast as he can but the only exit is the door which is right behind the man, he can't just jump from the window even if it may sounds better than what is waiting for him. <<You little bitch, you sent me to jail. You know I have to punish you for it, don't you?>> He asks and Remington silently nods, submitting to the other like he is used to. <<How cute, you thought you would be safe here, with that man from the bar.>> Hearing him talking about Andy, Remington can't help but looking at him with anger. <<How did you know?>> His father laughs like he genuinely can't believe how stupid the boy is. <<I followed you. You seriously think I would let you go out like that?>> Remington isn't surprised, of course his that would do that, what was he thinking. <<Just leave him alone, please?>>

<<First of all, you don't tell me what to do. And second, I am here just for you, now get the fuck up.>> He shouts nearing the poor boy. Remington stands in front of him, his arms falling down: he doesn't need a protection, it would only do worse. <<Good boy.>> His father smiles as he takes a hand up, stroking his left cheek. <<You can't imagine how much I missed you.>> He goes on making Remington even more uncomfortable. He just wants this all to end, he can't bear any sick foreplay. <<Please, just do it.>> Remington begs submissively. <<Well, if you ask me like that, how can I deny you?>> And with that the man lets his hand fall from the boy's cheek to his neck and then his shoulder slowly going down following the outline of his slim hips. Once he grabs the hem of Remington's shirt he easily takes it off and throws it onto the floor. The boy feels naked and exposed, it's a feeling he never wishes for anyone to try. His own father carelessly caressing his body like he wasn't his son, blood of his own blood. It's disgusting and makes Remington want to throw up his breakfast. The man takes his time to then slip off the other's skinny jeans and attains pleasure from the look of horror painted on his face. It is, to him, sadistically beautiful. <<Turn around.>> The man demands harshly and Remington does. It is in that moment that he sees the guitar resting on the bedsheets, so inviting.

It's right before lunch that Andy comes back to his place. Usually he would work till, at least, six p.m. but he has to make Remington food unless he wants him to starve. Happy that the boy in the last few days was feeling slightly better, since his evil father was out of the game, the blue eyed man gets inside the house unaware of what just happened. Remington's not in the kitchen nor in the living room, and the whole place his way quieter than it normally is. He is now used to hearing Remington singing or playing the guitar first thing when he gets home.  Looking around suspiciously, Andy's heart skips a beat when he notices some broken glass on the flooring. <<Remington!-He screams- Are you okay?!>> He waits a second to see if he would get an answer but since none arrives he rushes to the bath thinking the boy may have cut himself and passed out but the room is empty. Fearing for the worst Andy walks slowly to the guests room as if he could somehow avoid whatever happened. The man rests a hand to the room's door and, taking a deep breath, opens it. Andy widens his eyes at the scene he has in front: Remington is in tears in a corner, sitting on the floor, naked a part from his underwear an, lying on the bed, there his a man that he  recognizes as the boy's father, with his head in a pool of red blood. <<Oh my God, Remington are you okay?>> Is the first thing he says, rushing to the boy and kneeling down to look at him in the eyes. It doesn't matter that there is a man that could be dead in his room, all the matters in this moment to Andy is that his precious boy isn't hurt. Remington shakes his head frenetically. <<Where? Where did he hurt you?>> He asks now even more worried than he already was. The boy doesn't seem like he wants to answer and as much as Andy would prefer to stay with him he needs to do something about the almost dead man on the bed so he takes out the phone from his pocket and calls the police. Andy is sure they will not blame Remington for hitting his father, he was just trying to protect himself. 

While they wait for the police to arrive, Andy helps the younger boy getting up and sees the new bruises he has on his hips, back and thighs. <<Come with me sweet thing, you're safe now.>> He says holding back tears of anger. Remington follows him into the other's room where he is given a new shirt and some sweatpants to be comfortable. When he is finally dressed Andy brings him a cup of hot tea but he still doesn't want to talk, the shock now is so much he feels paralyzed. Andy hears the bell ringing and leaves the poor boy alone to go open the door and lets the policemen enter his house. He leads them to the guests room where they can see Remington's father passed out on the bedsheets. He is still alive so they call an ambulance and meanwhile Andy has to explain what happened the best he could since Remington doesn't even try to speak. Eventually the man is taken to the hospital and the boys are, once again, left alone. <<i am sorry i wasn't here to protect you.>> Andy says out of nowhere while they are watching the tv to distract themselves. <<'s not your fault.>> Remington answers and it really surprises Andy. Maybe it isn't all lost, maybe what happened today didn't erase all the hard work they did. <<Can you...>> The boy says almost whispering like he's going to tell a secret or something forbidden. <<Yeah...can I what sweetie?>> By now it's an habit of Andy to call Remington like this, he has given him lots of cute nicknames just because he can't hide his feelings and this looks, to him, the easiest and most sneaky way to express them. <<Can we cuddle?>>  The boy looks away and keeps all of his concentration on the television to not see Andy's reaction: is he disgusted? Is he feeling sorry for me? Is this too weird? 

Needless to say Andy couldn't be more happy. Remington wants cuddles and since he was the one who asked that means he doesn't fear him. <<Of course we can sweetheart. Come here.>> The older man opens his arm to let Remington leaning in and resting his head on his chest. The younger boy finds peace while listening to Andy's steady heartbeat and being between his strong arms makes him feel protected. Remington doesn't know why but he isn't scared of Andy and not only that but, after what he just went through, he finds his presence comforting and he needs it so much right now.

Author's note

This chapter was particularly difficult to write this is why it took more time. I din't want to make it trivial I wanted it to be intense but not so much you would want to skip parts.  I know it is very full of things and a lot is going on but I hope you liked that and I promise the next one will be out tomorrow or the day after depending on school homework.

Have a good day. xx