They meandered past some storefronts in silence, not having a specific destination in mind. The sidewalk was dotted with groups enjoying the warm weather. When they got to a less crowded stretch, Damien finally spoke. 

“You know, I just transferred here from across the state and you’ve made the move worth it. It’s a weird school, but I’m really glad I met you, Jake.”

Stunned beyond words, Jake stared at him, eyes wide, completely ignoring the sidewalk. 

Glancing up from his thoughts, Damien flashed him a smile. 

“I—” Jake wasn’t even sure what he was planning on saying as he stumbled into something. 

“Whoa!” 

Damien threw his arm out to block Jake from crashing down, hitting a swath of bruises across his chest. He let out a tiny sound, flinching at the unexpected jolt of pain.

“I’m so sorry!” Damien exclaimed.

“I’m fine,” Jake hurried to reassure him. “Thanks for not letting me face plant into that ledge,” he said, forcing a laugh. “I really am a walking disaster.”

“Jake.” Damien’s voice was eerily calm. 

He stopped talking but couldn’t quite meet Damien’s gaze. 

Saying his name again, Damien took a step closer. Ever so gently, Damien put a finger under his chin and lifted it up so they were staring at each other. He spent a long moment searching Jake’s face, seeming to want an answer to something. 

”Jake, you’re hurt.” 

The control he usually held vanished and Jake drooped, letting his head fall to Damien’s shoulder. “I’m fine,” he whispered again, stubbornly refusing to crumble under the intensity of Damien’s stare.  

“Come with me,” Damien ordered, his voice both gentle and commanding. 

Lifting his head, Jake kept his eyes glued to the sidewalk. They began walking a little faster than before which helped Jake avoid wallowing in his embarrassment. 

They walked up to a brick apartment building and Jake finally realized where they were going as they went through the empty foyer. It was a small building, so they didn’t have far to go down the hallway before Damien stopped in front of a door, silently unlocking it and motioning Jake to go in. 

Glancing around, Jake took in the tiny studio apartment. It was obviously lived in, but fairly tidy. In the far corner, the bed was unmade, a single pillow lying in the center. He briefly imagined Damien grumpily hugging his pillow before crawling out of bed in the morning and smirked at the mental image. 

Realizing where his brain had just gone, Jake flushed and peeked into the kitchen. It was quite small, just a sink and a stove – the fridge barely larger than what he had in his dorm – and a stool tucked under the counter instead of a table. 

Cutting the space in half, there was a lumpy looking couch missing an arm and a coffee table that was well past its prime. Damien had clearly taken the time to make it his own space, with a couple of photos tacked to the wall and even a pathetic looking houseplant sitting under a window.

“Nice place,” Jake finally said, daring to look at Damien for the first time in ten minutes. 

Damien was watching him almost warily. “Would you like anything? More coffee? Or water? That’s about all I have.” He absently ran his fingers through his hair. 

“I’m okay, thanks. I like your couch,” he tacked on. 

Furrowing his brows, Damien looked over at the couch in question like he was lost.  

“It’s like me – missing an arm.” Jake grinned at his own joke. 

Shaking his head, Damien relaxed just enough to smile. “Want to go sit down?” he asked, sounding oddly cautious.

They both moved across the room, perching on opposite sides of the couch. Damien leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, fingers steepled together under his chin. 

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so please tell me if I push you too far or cross a line, but...” Damien took a deep breath. “How bad is it?” 

“Is what?” Jake asked nonchalantly. 

“Don’t play dumb, Jacob.”

“Just Jake.”

“Okay. Wait, really?”

Jake nodded. 

“I want to come back to that. But— Your ribs. It’s gotta be bad for you to react like that.” Staring him down, Damien would look downright fierce if it weren’t for how worried his eyes were. 

Jake’s heart warred with his brain. It was easier to keep his injuries to himself – keep everyone else safe from his problems – but he was so tired. Tired of being targeted. Tired of being punished for something that wasn’t his fault. Tired of being in pain. Tired of dealing with it on his own. 

Unzipping his hoodie, he yanked it off with his teeth clenched, a surge of anger overriding his exhaustion. He peeled off his shirt, ignoring the sharp stab of pain the movements brought, and stood in front of Damien defiantly. 

“It’s fantastic,” Jake said mockingly. “Happy now?”