Time After Time

Home Sweet Home

The day wore on as Scott stared blankly at the television screen, the moving images failing to capture his attention. He’d claim his mind was elsewhere, but, really, it wasn’t anywhere. He’d stopped thinking, he’d shut himself off from the world. He couldn’t bear to find himself focussed on the fear that had been strangling him. He’d spent most of the day with Mitch at his side, the pair unknowingly imitating one another with the high amounts of accuracy. Two expressionless faces pretending to care about reality. However, the countertenor had slipped out to see some friends or something – Scott couldn’t really remember... or, rather, he hadn’t been listening when he’d been informed. Scott stretched out his strong limbs, and ten pushed himself to his feet. He noted Wyatt strutting along the floor and allowed himself to smile slightly.

“Hey, Wyatt,” he cooed as he knelt down. The Sphynx cat looked unimpressed, and walked away in the opposite direction to the tall blonde, “Fine, then,” the baritone said, chuckling quietly. He strolled into the kitchen and began to prepare himself some food. He’d just placed some ingredients in various places when he heard the door open and then close.

“I’m back!” Mitch called. He appeared at the doorway and raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “Were you planning on burning this place down?”

“No... why?”

“That rice is still in its packaging... You don’t cook rice like that,” Mitch said, failing to hold back a grin as he walked over to Scott, who had turned a deep shade of crimson.

“I-I wasn’t-“

“Sure you weren’t,” the brunette’s words were laced with a heavy dose of sarcasm. Scott’s blush somehow grew deeper.

“I haven’t really been paying attention all day.”“I noticed that when you tipped your coffee over yourself this morning,” the countertenor smiled. Scott managed a small smile back, and held his arms out. Mitch pressed his body against Scott’s and the pair wrapped their arms around each other. Scott pressed his face into the smaller man’s dark hair and nuzzled it softly.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” Mitch found himself saying, smiling as a blush crept its way onto his face.

“I’m sorry that I probably wasn’t the best company earlier...” the blonde suddenly blurted out, startling the younger man.

“It’s fine, but...” the pair pulled apart before Mitch continued, “we need to talk.”

“We do? About what?” Scott questioned, perplexed.

“Stuff. Let’s sit down,” Mitch sighed, turning around and heading towards the couch in the living room. The baritone followed, panic building up inside his mind, and beginning to try and suffocate him. His chest felt tight, he couldn’t breathe properly and he felt as though his legs could not possibly hold his weight. When the duo finally reached the couch, Scott fell onto it, relieved. The brunette sat down beside the older man, and sighed deeply before he spoke, “Kirstie told me that I should tell you how I feel...”

“What do you mean?”

“I never told you what they did to me,” Mitch was staring at his lap, fiddling awkwardly with his fingers as he spoke.

“You don’t have to, Mitch,” the baritone murmured, reaching a hand out to touch his boyfriend’s arm.

“If we’re going to make this relationship work, then I have no choice. We’ve got to talk to one another,” Mitch said before continuing, his voice a lot quieter. “They used to hurt me... a few beat me, two forced me into sex, but... but... I don’t... I can...” Mitch trailed off, tears rolling down his cheeks. Scott’s arms were around him in an instant, pulling the countertenor close and pressing light kisses into the brunette’s hair.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Scott whispered, but he knew it wasn’t.

“The words hurt me more, Scott,” Mitch’s quiet words were almost swallowed by the room, but they dead reach the blonde’s ears and he found himself involuntarily wincing. He didn’t want to know what Mitch had been told. He was too afraid. He was so scared. Everything scared him.

“I’ve got you, I’m here.”

“I know, baby, I know,” Mitch wrapped his arms around his boyfriend as he felt Scott’s teardrops fall onto the top of his head.

 “I won’t let them hurt you. Just tell me, and I’ll protect you,” Scott forced out through his tears. Mitch took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to confront him, well, somewhat, at least.

“I’ll do the same, but I need to know what’s wrong,” Scott froze and then began to quiver. Mitch found himself regretting his words almost instantly, wanting nothing more than to take them back.

“I’m scared,” the blonde murmured hesitantly after a few minutes without speech, the silence filled with the couple sobbing onto one another.

“Of what?”

“I don’t know,” Scott choked back a sob and Mitch pulled him closer.

“We’ll get through this, honey. We’ll get through,” Mitch’s words would have been reassuring if they hadn’t been so tainted by doubt. They were lost – they had been for so long, and they were finally realizing that they wanted to be able to bring each other home.