Temptation ➳

Twenty One ➳

A/N: There is a slur in here that can be considered offensive. I, in no way, condone the use of said word.

"Run."

Oliver didn't quite process the words until Daniel rather roughly shoved him out of sight. Oliver didn't really feel like running was the best idea, but with one more quiet exclamation from Daniel, he was on his way, sprinting out of his friend's backyard.

But Oliver never made it to the street.

Right before he had reached he mailboxes, he found himself turning around and taking cover on the side of Daniel's house, thankful that it was dark out so nobody could see.

The pastor was approaching Daniel quickly, squinting his eyes to get a better view. Oliver breathed a small sigh of relief, realizing that the pastor probably hadn't even seen him due to the holy man's bad vision.

Oliver watched, frozen by his own fear as Pastor Reyes walked over to his son, arms crossed over his chest.

"What are you doing out?" the pastor asked. His voice was sharp and Oliver felt a tug at his heart when he saw Daniel visibly flinch.

"I-I don't know." Daniel looked down at the grass, fiddling with his fingers. The pastor raised an eyebrow, his lips turning down into a frown.

"You don't know?" he asked, stepping closer. "Is that an acceptable answer?" he questioned, grabbing Daniel's wrist. Daniel instinctively tried to get away, but the pastor's hold was too strong.

"N-no, I'm sorry dad." Daniel hung his head.

With wide eyes and momentary panic coursing through his veins, Oliver realized just how familiar this situation was.

Oliver had given his dad the 'I don't know' answer before and he had been hurt because of it. Kind of like what Oliver was seeing now, right before him.

Oliver so badly wanted to run over and save the brunet boy. He wanted to tell the pastor to stop. He wanted to just do something to help his friend.

But he didn't.

Instead he stood stiff and still, watching the whole scene unfold, feeling completely useless as he did so.

"Why where you out here?" Pastor Reyes questioned, leaning so that he was in Daniel's face. "Tell me now, Daniel."

Daniel swallowed, his eyes filled with fear. For a few moments he didn't speak and right when Oliver thought Reyes was going to ask again, Daniel responded.

"Stargazing." Daniel choked out. "I was stargazing." Oliver felt his heartbeat quicken at the lie, scared that his friend would be caught.

Pastor Reyes scrunched up his noes and he let go of Daniel's hand, taking a big step back.

"I should've known." the pastor sneered. "Of course my fag son would lie." Pastor Reyes shook his head in disgust. "You were out here with someone."

Oliver squeezed his eyes shut at hearing the Pastor's harsh words. He was starting to feel quite sick and he couldn't even begin to imagine what Daniel was going through (which was no doubt ten times worse).

"I wasn't." Daniel shook his head frantically. "I swear I wasn't." Daniel was shaking now, tears glossing over his eyes. "Dad, please."

"Was it one of your fag friends?" Pastor Reyes asked. "The one you've been texting?" the pastor quirked his brow, his eyes ablaze.

Oliver felt his stomach churn at the mention of himself. He felt even more queasy when he processed the words that the Pastor was using to describe him.