Help Me (sequel to Save Me)

Chapter 34

Hoping to keep you all entertained during quarantine - message me requests for Remdy oneshots!
Also no trigger warning for once :)

User 1: wth this is heartbreaking. Remi looks like he's about to burst into tears. How can people think asking him about it is okay???

User 2: I've seen so many posts about Remington's interview. Why do people think it's okay to ask him such personal things? He was abused. ABUSED! Let that sink in for a moment. Look at him! Look how sad he is! This isn't right. We ALL need to be there for him, to show him he's loved. Asking questions about him being ABUSED is not the way to go.

User 3: @user2 LITERALLY! How does anyone think it's okay to do that?!

User 2: @user3 It's awful. He's been so open with us and it's obvious that this is hurting him and we all need to stop.

They're in the venue waiting for VIP to start. Remington can't stop watching the videos of him explaining how upset the questions are making him. He hates how weak he looks and how close he is to crying in the videos. Why does it make him cry? Andy comes up behind him, wraps his arms around the younger's waist and kisses the side of is head. Remington hums. "Where have you been?" He asks, putting his phone in his pocket.

"Looking around," Andy says, "getting to know Andrew and Daniel." He smiles when Remington puts his hands over his own. "How about you? What're you up to in here on your own?

Remington shrugs. "Nothing," he lies, "just waiting." He's glad he can't see Andy's face. If he could then he wouldn't be able to lie to him.

The man runs his fingers over the bandage on Remington's hand, reminding himself to talk to the boy about his wrists before he goes home. "Really? You've not been doing anything?" He has his chin on Remington's shoulder, looking at the younger's hands, the way his skin is so irritated and raw. Have his brothers noticed?

"Mhm," Remington insists, aware that his lover is observing his wrists but not minding. It's nice that Andy cares.

Andy chuckles. "Okay," he says, "if you say so."

"I do say so." The boy hesitates. He should tell Andy what he was really doing. "I was watching the videos," he finally admits.

With a sigh, Andy releases one of Remington's hands and rubs his hips, feeling the way his bones jut out sharply. "I see." He should have guessed, really. "It was a very strong and courageous thing to do."

Remington watches Andy's hand on his hips. "But I look so pathetic," he mumbles, "don't I?" His shoulder is kissed. He sighs.

"No," Andy replies, looking at Sebastian who is wondering around the room. "Not pathetic. Never pathetic. Strong? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. Inspirational? Definitely. Pathetic? Absoltely not." The guitarist is watching his brother and his brother's fiance from the other side of the room. It makes him so happy when he sees them like this; calm and gentle and showing so much love. There couldn't be anyone more perfect for Remington.

The boy is smiling, though Andy can't see. "Really?"

"Absolutely."

After VIP, which goes smoothly without a single question to do with Remington being abused, he sits in the green room with Palatte Royale in front of a mirror, Andy on the couch close by, scrolling through Instagram. Remington doesn't bother with using brushes, and just smears the colours onto his eye lids until they're packed with red and black. It's strange how different he looks with makeup on. He definitely prefers himself with it on, and he's sure that everyone else does, too.

He glances at Andy and smiles, catching the man's eye, and turns back to the mirror to finsih his eyeliner. "I can never get them fucking even," he complains, leaning over the table to get closer to the mirror.

Andy stands up. "Here. Let me," he offers, taking the eyeliner from Remington and drawing on two almost prefectly even wings, the iconic cross on his cheekbone, and a little heart on his other cheekbone.

Remington looks in the mirror and notices the heart, giggling and taking the eyeliner pen back. "Come closer," he demands, and draws a heart on Andy's face too, so they're matching. "There. Perfect."

"That was very cute," Andy says, and Remington picks up his phone for a selfie of them both. Andy puts his arm around Remington's shoulder and smiles, and Remington sticks his tongue out in that adorable way that makes the fans go crazy.

He writes love is real, you just gotta find the right person to love and posts it on his Instagram. It's the first post he's made with him and Andy, and it makes him feel like there is hope, like he can recover from what Holly did.

"That was very cute," Andy says again, and Remington blushes.

"Boys, two minutes!" Someone shouts through the door, and Remington jumps up.

And then they're on stage, and everyone is screaming, and Remington is singing. Three songs in, he talks into the microphone. "I want to say a huge fucking thankyou to all of you who were in VIP for not asking me anything about abuse. I appreciate it! Thankyou! This is You'll Be Fine!" Everyone cheers, the song starts.

Andy is backstage, watching, smiling. It is so clear to see just how much Remington loves performing, how he needs it. And when Remington glances at him, he sees how much the boy needs him, too.

After the show, Remington's exhaustion seems to catch up with him, and he practically collapses into Andy. He explains to his brothers in a few sleepy words that he's way too tired to meet the fans tonight, and after a thirty second shower with Andy, he's sleeping in his bunk.

Damp and warm and protected in his lover's safe arms.