Helpless

Josh part 2

"..he does what?" Markus looks at Simon, raising an eyebrow.
He's feeling so many emotions.
Fear. Anger. Sadness. Guilt. Happiness. So many it took him back.
He was scared because he knew Simon was getting hurt. Angry because, yet again Simon was getting hurt. He was sad and guilty because Simon had needed someone more than ever and no one even realised.
Happy? Happy because Simon trusts him enough to tell him.

"He beats me, Markus.. I don't know what to do." He says, voice quieter as if scared josh would hear him even from his bedroom two rooms over. He's paranoid. He regrets speaking about it. If josh knows he's spoken to Markus, he'll hurt him so bad.
"Please- Don't tell him you know."

They could use it to their advantage, not letting Josh know that he knows. If Markus made an effort to stay with Simon, Josh wouldn't be able to lay a hand on him until they went to their own room. Unless he managed to catch him when he's alone, which he doubts.

"I can't just not tell him, Simon. How long has this been happening??" He looks at Him, eyes widened in concern and his voice full of fear. Simons been suffering on his own. This whole time and he didn't realise.
He feels stupid. The signs had been there. Simon waking up with another bruise from when he'd 'tripped'.

"I lost track.." He says quietly, looking away and crossing his arms, for once glad that the hoody was covering all of him. He was littered in scars and bruises. He was embarrassed by them.
"Markus if he knows I've told you it'll be so much worse, you can't say anything."

"..Are you sure.?" He says, looking at him and hesitating before pulling him into a hug, murmuring quiet apologies into his ear.
For each apology Simon had to tell him it wasn't his fault. It was okay.
"I should've noticed something."

"No- You don't have to look out for me, Markus. It isn't your job." He sighs, hugging him back, burying his face in his neck. It was comforting.
"No ones ever realised. It's okay.."
That was true. Even North didn't realise and she'd been there even longer than Markus.

"Yesterday.. when I saw you in the kitchen. He hurt you then, didn't he?" He says quietly, looking down at him, running his fingers through the blondes hair in a comforting way.
This is when Simon knew he loved Markus.
He was perfect. He knew just how to make him feel better. Made him feel happy - even with everything that's happened. He was surprised he could trust him so easily.
"..Yes." He says quietly, looking down and keeping his head where it was.

Until he heard the knock on the door and he could tell from the strength used that it was josh.
He practically leapt away from the door, hesitating before turning to it and opening it.

"What are you up to, Si?" Josh fakes a smile, looking at his boyfriend and glancing to Markus, waving.
Markus waved back, a slow and uncertain movement. He seemed so different now that he knew the truth.

"I was just asking Markus what he wants for breakfast." Simon says quietly, sighing and walking out quickly, making sure he didn't accidentally nudge him as he goes by because he knows he'd take it as an insult

"Was that really all?" He looks at Him, Tilting his head and crossing his arms. He's suspicious of Markus. But the two were close friends, so he knows not to get too bad with him.
"Yes. Why wouldn't it be?" Markus looks back at him, voice full of fake curiosity.
Simon left out the part where Josh said he would beat up Markus.
He didn't want them to fight.
"No reason.." Josh shrugs, turning and walking down the stairs after Simon.
Markus had a new goal for now.
Protect Simon.