Glory is for Another Day // Lams Oneshots

Make //Lams

AN: This is kinda angsty, but no death, I promise. Alex and John have a dorm together, it's a college AU.

John was cooking, like he did every day before Alex got home. He'd start about an hour early and make everything from scratch, which Alex loved, but he could never understand why John did it. Alex insisted over and over that he could cook too, but John never let him. Dinner was ready every night.

Alex opened the door and set his stuff down by the couch before coming to see John in the kitchen. "Hey, Peaches, how was your day?"

John gave him a little half smile. "It was good. How was yours?"

"Jefferson was there, but it was as good as it could be," Alex chuckled and approached John. "What are you cooking, love?"

"Just chicken, is that okay?"

Alex glanced at him oddly. "Of course,"

John nodded and went back to cooking. A few seconds passed in silence, and then Alex reached over the stove to turn the heat off. John cocked his head. "What is it?"

Alex put an arm around his waist. "Why do you cook every day?"

"Because you are either at work or in classes, and I want you to have a good dinner afterwards. You work really hard,"

"You do just as much. Just because you get home before me doesn't mean that you have to make the meals,"

John started to look nervous, shifting his weight away from Alex. "I can do it, it's fine,"

Alex pulled him away from the stove and held him at arms length. "John, please tell me what's going on."

John didn't meet his eyes and took a step back. "I'm okay, really,"

"That's not very convincing, Peaches. I want to help you; tell me what happened."

"Nothing has changed in months, Alex, you can't expect something to be wrong," John kept taking steps back.

Finally, Alex raised his arms in defeat. "Okay, but you have to promise that you'll tell me if you want to talk about anything. And I mean anything, John."

John nodded and turned back to the stove. Alex looked at him a moment longer before retreating to the couch and pulling out his phone so he could check the news, still wondering at John's strange behavior. He never used to act like this before they started dating. And that gave Alex a thought that made his stomach sick.

*Time Skip brought to you by general gayness. One day has passed*

Alex came home and the first thing he saw was John with a plate of tamales. He motioned for John to set them down, and as soon as he did, Alex tackled him and pushed him gently to the wall. Alex kissed him, hard but sweet, and John threw his arms around Alex's neck. John whimpered softly, and that's when Alex pulled away.

"John, I love you. I love you so much. Please answer my question truthfully."

"Of course, yes,"

"Why do you make dinner every single day? Why do you do all the laundry and clean the whole dorm every week? Am I doing this to you? You started acting this way when I asked you out,"

John cling to him tightly. "Do you promise that you'll still love me when I tell you?"

Alex steeled himself for the worst. "Yes, baby, I'll always love you,"

"When my dad found out I was gay he hated me. He beat me and got drunk and angry, and he used to yell and scream all the time. But sometimes, if I tried really hard, he wouldn't hurt me if I did all the housework and got him whatever he wanted. There are still scars....on my back...."

Alex felt a pain in his chest and he hugged John tight. "I will never hurt you, John. I'm here to protect you, always and forever, and I don't want you to be afraid of me,"

John started crying a bit, and Alex kissed his neck gently.

"Can I see the scars?"

John nodded and hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it off and turning so Alex got a full view of his back. Alex gasped.

His entire back was laced with deep scars, faded to a pale color and marring his beautiful freckled skin. They looked to even be put there by a lash in some areas, and it was awful to behold.

"John, I had no idea,"

"How were you supposed to? I never told you anything,"

Alex places a hand tentatively on John's back and slid it lightly down the whole length. "Does it still hurt?"

John shivered at the other man's touch. "Not very often, but every once in a while. I'm sorry I acted this way,"

Alex spun John around and kissed him roughly. John moaned and dug his fingers into Alex's shoulders, tears still sliding down his cheeks. Alex pulled away and touched his forehead to John's. "John, never, ever apologize to me about something like this. This is never you're fault."

John nodded resignedly.

"What do you want right now? Tell me anything, I'll do it for you,"

John pulled Alex's shirt off and hugged his warm skin. Now both shirtless, Alex led John to the couch and pulled the smaller man into his lap, holding him all the while.

"What else, Peaches?"

John shook his head. "I just want you next to me, please,"

"I'll stay forever if you want me,"

"Thank you,"

Alex brushed his fingers over John's scars at a steady pace, becoming accustomed to how they felt and where they were so cruelly placed. "I love you. And I'm doing everything for at least the next month."

"You don't need to. I can still do things,"

"You're taking a break Peaches. Why don't we go on vacation, just you and me?"

"Where to?"

"As far from South Carolina as we can get. Let's go to California, we can stay near the beach and see some sea turtles."

John perked up ever so slightly. "Are you sure you can take the time off work?"

"Yes. I can do anything for you,"

John nodded some silent thanks and drifted to sleep. Alex guarded him for the whole night, keeping a firm grip on his Peach.

AN: Awww. Today I want to give a special shoutout to religious LGBTQ+ members, because I know the derision comes from everywhere. The community dislikes them and the religion commonly dislikes them, so you should always give them a place to turn to and be safe. I should know - I'm a biromantic asexual, but I'm also Catholic, and it's very hard. Love y'all,

Wolf
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