Breaking Skin

Chapter 6

A/N: So I know it's been forever and a fuckin eternity since I've last posted, but I've had family issues and school and all that shit. But eyyyyyy I'm back!! And hopefully I won't make another sudden disappearance. But this story shall go on!!
Implied beatings and incredibly pitiful Johannes ahead  so once again, read with caution.

Jonas stayed outside the bathroom, unsure of wether or not to try and force it open to get to Johannes or let him come out on his own. What if Johannes does something bad? What if he hurts himself, or worse? But at the same time, as pitifully terrified as he was of Jonas before, even after countless reassurances he would never even think of hurting him, what if him going in threw Johannes into another panic attack?
The image of Johannes back in the school bathrooms began replaying in his head. How terrified he was, cowering away in the corner and trembling like an abused animal, how he was so scared and completely passed out from nothing more than Jonas trying to get closer to him, and how he trembled so badly even when he was unconscious. It almost brought him to tears just remembering it.
He couldn't think long before there was a loud THUD. He quickly made his decision and quickly picked the lock and swung the door open, only to freeze at the sight before him.
Johannes's scrawny body was crumpled on the floor like a piece of scrapped paper, completely unconscious, and a very small pool of blood slowly seeping out of his temple. "Shit!!" Jonas immediately scooped Johannes up, quickly bandaging the gash in his temple and cleans the blood off the floor, then carefully carried Johannes out. He was trembling so bad he nearly dropped him, so he quickly sat down to avoid that possibility. Jonas kept an incredibly careful hold on Johannes, as he looked so fragile and weak he was almost afraid he would break into pieces if he did accidentally drop him or even held him too tightly.
Johannes instantly curled up in a tight ball, as if he was so accustomed to being brutally beaten he even attempted to defend himself in his sleep. If Jonas so much as stroked his hair, he'd immediately flinch like he'd just punched him. Jonas softly hummed, hoping that would at least calm him enough he stopped constantly shaking and whimpering, and after a few seconds it did. Johannes slowly, just barely, started to tremble less and almost started to relax just a little bit.
Jonas very slowly pulled a blanket over him, and Johannes immediately tensed up. "Hey it's ok...," Jonas kept his voice low and calm, trying to keep all signs of pity and complete heartbreak for him out of his voice, but it was hard. He wanted so bad to just hold him and never let go, to hug him tight and protect him from any negative word or beating and just keep him safe. He wanted to give Johannes all the positive attention he'd probably never been given in his life.
But Johannes was so scared of even him being within arms reach of him, he knew he could do that, and it broke his heart.
Jonas adjusted the blanket over Johannes again, partially hoping part of his trembling was just shivering and it wasn't just him being so intimidated, then he saw the bandage poking out of his sleeve again. Curiosity was eating away at him, but Johannes did seem to want it hidden when he tried to see it earlier, so he never mentioned it again. But what is it...? It doesn't have any blood or anything on it? Jonas just barely poked at it, and immediately Johannes's arm flinched away. "What could that be....?" Jonas asked himself. Johannes suddenly visibly tensed up again, as if expecting a hit all over again. Jonas quickly moves his hand away, leaving the bandage alone. "He probably just scratched his arm or something," Jonas answered himself. For a moment he thought he was being too paranoid, that it was probably something minor, like a cat scratch or something else small and not worth worrying about, but his suspicion was immediately back when he saw Johannes seemed to relax out of the corner of his eye as he answered himself.
Jonas noticed and immediately was almost taken aback by it. It was almost as if Johannes heard what he said and was relieved when he didn't make him answer. But that's not possible. He's completely unconscious, Jonas thought to himself, but as he watched Johannes, that thought immediately disappeared.
He noticed Johannes's very slight twitches in his fingers, the way his breath quickened as Jonas got closer and slowed as he leaned back, and the very slight movement of his eyelids. He paled, realizing it wasn't just a coincidence that Johannes tensed up and relaxed as he questioned his bandage. He heard it. He knew Jonas was talking about it and was relieved he didn't ask him. Johannes was awake when Jonas asked himself about it.
He's been twitching like that since I carried him to the couch..... Jonas realized. He looked at Johannes's fragile, twitching body, and that's when it really dawned on him.

Johannes had been awake the whole time.

A/N: I promise I'll try to not wait a fuckin eternity to update it again but the updates will still be slow. Just bear with me!