All The Ways We Touch [BxB]

seventy - home is where the hurt is - pt. one

Pastor Timothy had never bothered to master how to quietly walk through the halls of the facility. Though Jamison had come to suppose that he might've liked how each heavy step echoed down the corridors like a herald flatly announcing his presence. For those like Jamison, it sounded like a threat. A warning that something bad was going to happen to some unlucky soul. Five years after running away, it produced the same anxiety that made his breathing quicker but shallower. Suddenly, he was fourteen again and trying to decide if he should hide under his bed or stand and face him.

Wiping his face was just as futile as earlier, but not doing so felt like giving up. So, after a deep breath, he once again used the back of his hands to try to clear the tears from his eyes. 'You can do this. For Elli.' He exhaled lightly, his breath trembling as it passed over his salty lips.

The footsteps drew closer; Timothy was only a couple of rooms away. It's funny how some knowledge is just burned into memory and doesn't need a conscious thought to trigger it. Now he was so close that Jamison could hear the jingle of his keys, no doubt clipped to his belt loop. 'I can't do this!' Suddenly, he panicked and backed up as quickly as he could, pinning his back against the far wall, which wasn't far enough at all. His next breath was labored, then he was heaving as he listened to the snap of the door lock moving out of place.

This was it. It was time to face the boy who had done so much damage to his life and sense of self. Eventually, after the dwindling rates of parents sending their children to the facility, the Church's budget committee determined that its costs were too high, and it was closed. He'd made the best of it, telling the congregation that he had heard God calling him to a new path, one where he helped the church members find love. He became a matchmaker—with the help of Sarah's insights—and began to counsel couples to wed. Sarah had once called the ministry a baby factory when their little town's birthrate began to soar. Though he didn't like the look of disgust in her eyes as she said it. As if it were a bad thing to add more to his flock. Ultimately, the change had worked out well and was generally much easier on him, which he began to appreciate more as he aged into his forties.

It didn't erase the fact that it wasn't his choice, though. Not to mention how Jamison's actions had tarnished his reputation. A few families even left Shepherd's Flock when their kids relayed to them what the facility had actually been like—naturally, their visits had been limited and under strict supervision during their stays, making it impossible to try and claim they were being abused. Most families trusted that Pastor Timothy had known and done what was best, which had heartened him, but those few losses were monumental blows to his ego.

Admittedly, Timothy's heart was racing from the prospect of finding Jamison awake when he opened the door. Of how he would handle this interaction. He could've looked through the window on his door, but that wasn't how he wanted to see him again for the first time. Was Elliot being truthful, and he'd be impressed by how strong he'd become? He doubted that very much. Not that it really mattered when he was here to guide him back onto the path of salvation.

As quickly as the fear had gripped Jamison, adrenaline responded, shooting through his veins, widening his eyes, and kickstarting his fight or flight autopilot. Instead of cowering, he shot off the wall, taking a sharp turn at the end of his bed to kick off the adjacent wall for extra momentum. Slamming his whole weight against the door as it began to open, he knocked the door back into Pastor Timothy's face, making him fall onto his ass. Jamison bounced against the hallway wall and took off running down the corridor. While he was sure the facility was locked, he knew that he wouldn't be able to get the keys off of him, and figured the best call was to find anything that could be used as a weapon. He'd be sure to finish what he hadn't accomplished last time.

Elliot had been right; Jamison was much stronger than he expected. It didn't matter, though; even free from his room, he was in a no-win position. Clutching his nose, Pastor Timothy looked up to watch Jamison turning the corner. "You think that this is anything more than a game?" he bellowed. "You're going to turn around and walk right back into your room right now. And you want to know why, Jamie? Because I have Elliot elsewhere, and if you want him to remain safe, you're going to do exactly as I say."