Content Warning: This chapter contains content that may be triggering to some readers.

He was out there. Diederich could hear him, loud footsteps crunching through the crisp leaves as the blond huddled in his kitchen pantry, praying they’d silence soon. If he could just get to the window to close the blinds.… Diederich found himself freezing as he heard the knob of the front door jiggling before slowly pushing open. Fuck, he could have sworn he had locked it!

A shudder ran down the twenty five year old’s spine as he heard the footsteps wandering around the house. He didn’t have time to run; the footsteps hadn’t gone upstairs. He would never make it out before being caught, and that terrified him. Long fingers stabbed through blond curls, tugging half desperately as he tried to soothe himself. Diederich knew that panicking would do no good; he had to calm down and come up with a plan. Fear coursed through his body as he gave another tug before trying to get his breathing back to normal, much to no avail.

Why him? What had he done to deserve this?

He had thought nothing of it at first. It had seemed a little strange when one of his students’ fathers began to schedule weekly appointments, but Diederich had told himself it was just a concerned parent, and that it was sweet. After all, that particular first grader was shy, and Diederich had noticed that she was having a hard time learning how to fit in with the others, often spending her time alone. The man had introduced himself as Cedric, explaining that he was a single parent, that he worried about his little girl, and that he wanted to make sure he was as active in her school experience as possible, something that had warmed Diederich’s heart to hear.

Cedric was a big, burly man with dark brown hair and eyes that seemed almost... shifty, easily mistaken for intimidating, something that, looking back, Diederich wished he had trusted his instinct on. It wasn’t until the man had asked him to come over for drinks some time that the young teacher’s warning bells had begun to go off. He had politely refused, offering a smile and reminding Cedric that he was his daughter’s teacher, and that it would be incredibly inappropriate, to say nothing of unprofessional. He had expected it to stop at that, and yet, the problem seemed to only grow in intensity.

It hadn’t been long before the blond had started getting flowers in his classroom, or worse… on his doorstep. That had frightened him more than anything else, knowing that he’d been followed home. And yet, he’d tried to be brave. He’d told his boss, who had assured him the father would no longer be allowed at the school alone, but the harassment had continued. Eventually, he had had to call the police and obtain a restraining order, but that had done nothing to deter the man.

“Come on out and play, baby. I know you’re here.…”

The voice, low and mocking, made every fiber of Diederich’s skin crawl as he curled up into a smaller ball, for once thankful for his small stature as he prayed for the voice to leave, for the man to give up on trying to find him. Somehow, he knew that wasn’t going to happen. Go away, go away! His mind screamed these words over and over again, green eyes clenched tightly as he tried to keep his terrified breathing as quiet as possible.

A low, inaudible whimper fell from his lips into the smooth skin of his palm as he let his head rest back against the cool wood of the pantry. What would happen to him if he was found? Just what did Cedric have planned for him? Surely Diederich had made it clear that he wasn’t interested, and now he was left fearful that he’d be dealing with a man seeking vengeance rather than love.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, and Diederich’s eyes slid open, looking around the pantry for anything he could use as a weapon. Oh God, there wasn’t anything he could use, except for the old, wooden handled broom. His brow furrowed in determination as he gripped it tightly, holding his breath as the loud steps entered the kitchen. Heart pounding in his chest and gripped with an icy fear, the small man allowed himself to silently press his ear to the door, listening closely.

The man wasn’t going away, he knew that. All he would be able to do was at least attempt to fight. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could hurt him enough to slow him down, to give himself time to get out of the house and somewhere safe. If he could just dial 911.... The kitchen cupboard doors opened one by one, closing with a loud thump until they paused at the one beside the pantry door….

Gripping the broom a little tighter, Diederich prepared to swing, lunging at the man as the pantry door was opened, screaming in anger and fear. He refused to go down without a fight, he refused! The broom collided with the side of the burly man’s face, causing him to stagger back in surprise as Diederich once more lifted it to bring it down over the man’s head, running on sheer adrenaline.

His foot shot out, colliding with the other’s shin and watching for only a moment as the large man hit the ground in pain, a low groan escaping his lips as Diederich began to run as fast as he could towards the front door. He’d done it, he was safe, and he could get away and call the police!

Desperate feet carried him out of the room, a sense of relief filling him….

Just as a loud popping noise filled the air. Diederich heard it more than he felt it, the cold, numbing bite of shock setting in as he hit the ground, the fabric of his shirt sticking to his skin as blood soaked through the back of it. The last thing he saw was black as his vision clouded and he drifted into darkness.