AGALMATOPHILIA

_-:27:-_

Knock knock.

Tyler's head slowly lifts towards the the door as it creaks open softly.

He pulls his knees closer to his chest in hopes of stopping the insanely loud grumble of hunger from being heard.

"You awake?"

The frail boy unwraps his limbs and sits cross legged in the middle of the bed.

The pale blue glow from the moon looming outside outlines Tyler's features, his rapidly diminishing metabolism had already begun to chip away at his cheek bones and eye sockets, leaving them harsher, sunken as treasures lost at sea.

The figure who enters the room has the stature of Brendon and when the light hits him Tyler sighs loudly with relief.

"I'm awake,"

Brendon closes the door behind him as silently as he possibly can, grimacing at the almost deafening screech the door produces.

Padding over to the bed, Brendon pushes a styrofoam box towards the tan boy, crawling up onto the bed and kneeling in front of his newly found friend.

Tyler gingerly touches the box, pulling his hand back to defensively wrap around his legs once again.

"What's this?"

"Dinner, I know Josh hasn't let you eat for a couple days, so I got you something when he went to bed," he combs a hand through thick black locks, taking his bottom lip between his teeth, observing as Tyler cracks the lid off and begins to devour the contents using his hands.

Shovelling clumps of chicken and rice into his mouth, Brendon watches on with a sad half smile on his lips.

Tyler stops once he notices the staring, bringing his hands down from his mouth.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing, I'm glad you're eating," Brendon sighs contently, leaning back, finally mirroring Tyler's position.

The younger takes a few more bites before swallowing and focusing on the man across from him.

"Wouldn't Josh be mad about this? Doesn't he rule the roost?"

The darker haired man chuckles softly, shaking his head.

"He likes to think he does,"

The two share an agreed silence whilst Tyler finishes his meal.

Outside the wind blows sweetly, caressing the trees leaves with soft kisses, moonlight spilling through the gaps in sparse branches and pouring to the concrete roads below.

Translucent patches of fluffy grey clouds hang from the stars, hurriedly fleeing from the open air and dissipating into nothing.

Brendon watches as this happens right before him, then turns his attention towards the small boy who had already curled in on himself yet again.

They stare at each other for a brief moment before Tyler breaks the eye contact and stares down at his bare feet.

"How did you meet Josh?" He mumbles almost incoherently, Brendon twisting his mouth in thought.

A steady panic begins throughout his chest.

"It's a long story I wouldn't want to bore you," wrapping his arms around himself.

"You know you're mine now, get it?"

Brendon gulps, and nods since that would be the only thing to show his terrified agreement, the duct tape wrapped around his entire head too tight to try and make a sound.

The coarse rope binding his wrists kills, but Brendon remains calm and stoic, already planning as many ways as he could to escape.

The woman's body in the back seat lay lifeless and Brendon turns just enough to see her glasses over eyes staring right back at him.

"Hey? Where'd you just go?" Tyler waves his little delicate hands in front of Brendon's face, bringing him back.

"You're so nosy you know that?" He hisses, clambering off the bed.

Tyler, bewildered, crawls to the end of the bed and remains on all fours, awkwardly cocking his head to question Brendon with expressions only.

"I'm sorry?"

Brendon goes to exit with a dramatic fling of his hands, before spinning back around and marching up to the bed, pushing Tyler back.

He narrowly avoids landing on his half eaten meal.

"Shut up kid, please," Brendon sighs.

"I dare you to run Beebo, we'll see who's faster," Josh shoves the man to his knees, the surrounding forest dead silent.

He doesn't dare scramble to his feet again, silently sobbing onto crusty decaying leaves.

"See?"

Two fingers lift his head.

"You want to stay,"

"Just shut up Tyler!" Brendon almost yells but lowers his voice to avoid waking Josh.

In one last act of anger Brendon flips the food up at Tyler, covering him in orange chicken.

"Hey wait!" Tyler begins to follow Brendon, but once he reaches a meter from the bed he falls and lands face first on the hard floor.

Quickly sitting up, Tyler tugs the restraint around his left ankle, but alas Brendon had already fled the scene.

Tyler sits on the floor, and curls up within himself again.

Wherever the question had taken Brendon inside his mind had clearly not been a nice one, the reflection in his eyes had become dull and lacklustre.

Tyler inhales, and exhales as he begins to cry.

He had no friends here, not even Brendon though he had tried to befriend the hostage, would be someone Tyler could be close to.

Realising how truly alone he had become, Tyler curls up on the floor and falls asleep.

When the early morning sun wakes him with its piercing beauty, Tyler groggily sits up.

He had become aware that across from him someone was sitting and watching him sleep.

Peeling the blanket from him body, he silently looks back at the person.

"You looked cold, so I, I wanted to make sure you slept okay," Brendon stutters, shakily running a hand through his hair, Tyler doesn't respond.

"I, I'm sorry I yelled, maybe I could tell you, but I might cry,"

Tyler, once again, remains commentless on the situation, only turning to look outside the glass prison trapping him inside this hell hole apartment.

"Are you mad at me?"

Turning back to Brendon Tyler only blinks in response.

"You're mad huh?"

"Shut up,"

Brendon flinches, freezing once Tyler begins to crawl towards him, glad his chains let him reach Brendon.

Poised on all fours in front of Brendon, the two only stare at each other, Tyler carefully moving closer and closer.

Brendon holds onto his breath as if it were his last, before Tyler closes the gap.

Now shocked, Brendon doesn't move, and let's Tyler hug him tight.

"Don't tell me if you don't want to,"