Outside grew chilly as fall began sucking the color from the vibrant leaves of summer. Brown and orange petals sprinkled from the foliage above, like colored clippings of tissue paper. Sounding beneath him was the crunch of dried leafage, his khakis now scuffed with dirty footprints. The lingering smell of pumpkin spice intermingled with the scent of blood running from Finn's nose as he braced for another blow.

Another hefty kick connected with his ribcage as he was projected across the brisk concrete. It was a struggle to see past the dirt in his eyes, and the pain in his abdomen kept him immobilized. As Finn propped himself up on his elbows, another dry heave made him lurch forward. Nothing was coming up, and they'd been at this for at least half an hour.

The revulsion on his offender's face as he made a guttural groan made him flinch as he was jerked to his feet- his fists full of Finn's collar. "I've got a pretty penny in my pocket for doing this!" He cackled, slugging him in the face. Finn's head dropped to the side as his ears began to ring; everything was starting to blur.

"You're gonna get in a lot of trouble for damaging my clothes," he forced a subtle smile, and, with a thud, he was dropped to the floor. "You ripped my collar and bruised my face- which I'm sure he instructed you not to do." Another painful inhale made him pause as he studied what he'd made of Finn- a bloody bruised mess.

He scraped his fingers against the crisp cement in hopes of finding his glasses, placing them on the bridge of his nose with shaky fingers. The man was across the street now, wiping his bloodied knuckles on the seams of his pants as Finn pushed himself to his knees.

The sky above was a raging swarm of violet and indigo strokes, the distant stalks of trees cloaked in a silhouette underneath the fiery heavens. As he pushed himself to his feet, he staggered backward and fell on his rear, a curse escaping his lips. "Shit!"

The bruises on Finn's legs still ached from earlier, his eyelids drooping as he drew his knees to his chest. He was always alone when he needed him the most.

"Are you just going to sit there and mope about?"

Finn scrambled to his feet as he heard a throaty voice sound behind him, his glasses crooked on his face as he sucked in a pained breath- everything hurt. "A-Alistaire," The aggravation in his lover's gaze made his knees buckle as he folded his arms over his chest. Finn gave him an apologetic smile and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry I'm late..."

"I made dinner tonight, though I do hope you're ready to receive your punishment for making me cook. It came out terribly." He moved Finn's hands to clasp around his neck and stooped down just enough to hook his right arm behind the blonde's legs, sweeping him off his feet.

He'd forgotten the reason he was late, but the throbbing in his feet made him furrow his thin eyebrows. "You hired some asshole to hurt me!"

"What are you talking about?" Scrunching his nose as he questioned Finn's accusation, he paused for a minute before striding to the front door.

Finn wiped his face and kept quiet, the heat in his cheeks, bringing tears to his eyes. "Don't try to make me sound like I'm crazy!"

He arched an eyebrow and twisted the front door open before kicking it shut behind them, his plump lips curved into a smirk as he properly aligned Finn's glasses. "You think I hired someone to beat you up when I could do it myself?"

He placed Finn on his feet and ran his broad fingers through his long locks of hair. "I wouldn't waste money on something I could take care of personally." A cocky grin found itself on Alistaire's face as he shot Finn a wink.

His legs were wobbly as he was placed to stand up, Alistaire's muscular frame towering over his feminine outline as he regained his balance. "Wait..," Finn glanced up at him, his azure eyes were on the verge of overflowing as he choked back his tears. "So, if you couldn't do it yourself, you'd hire someone to hurt me?"

"It's a possibility," he mumbled and shrugged as Finn watched him in disbelief.

Every time he walked out of Alistaire's house, he had the opportunity to run away, and every evening Finn found himself lying beside his enemy. He hated him and everything he stood for, but was genuinely attached to him- he needed him, and he didn't want to start over.

"Screw you..." He was swooped up again and taken to the restroom, the tears streaming down his face completely disregarded as Alistaire sat him on the edge of the tub. Finn kept his gaze locked on the tile floor as he was undressed, a chill running down his spine as his lover's clammy hands caressed his body.

"Do I need to prove how much I love you?" Alistaire purred in Finn's ear as he undid his zipper, his face quickly flushing as Alistaire grabbed the mound in his boxers.

"Get off me..." he shoved him away and kicked his pants to the side, covering his middle as Alistaire clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. The bruises on Finn's ankles were purple in color, the blossoming pain in his legs making him wince.

Alistaire grabbed Finn's chin and furrowed his thick eyebrows together, his partner's cobalt eyes still shifting between the tile and the counter. As he brushed his lips against Finn's cheek, he dipped his fingers into the water and let out a groan of approval. For as long as they'd been together, Alistaire never once placed his lips on Finn's.

He rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh before pushing himself to stand. "Bathe, I'm going to heat up your dinner."

As he exited the restroom, Finn tugged off the remainder of his clothes and slowly sunk into the blazing water, the pain in his stomach gradually getting worse before mellowing out. He wiggled his toes and let his head fall back against the tub, the scent of patchouli flooding his nose. Finn drenched his honey-colored hair in the water and hummed a faint tune, his off-key song the only noise accompanying his seclusion.

Finn kept his eyelids bolted shut as he heard the bathroom door creak open, Alistaire's ragged breaths making him question his standing. Regardless of Finn's feelings, pleasing his lover, always came first. Silence promptly followed behind his thoughts, leading him to believe Alistaire had left, but as he opened his eyes, Finn felt the sting of his hand across his face.

"You little whore," he got down onto his knees and seized a fistful of Finn's hair, his broad fingers intertwined at the roots. "You've been out there selling your ass, is that it?!"

As he scolded Finn between his whimpers of protest, he felt Alistaire tighten his grip- and in moments, he found himself underneath the bathwater. If he kicked and screamed, it would've fueled Alistaire's anguish, so he clenched his eyes shut and waited.

Within twenty seconds, he pulled Finn from the water and ran his wet hands through his brunette locks, almost frightened at what he'd done. Finn watched him with a crooked smile and turned his eyes over to the left, the water dripping down his face cloaking the tears streaming down his cheeks. He'd had enough, but until Finn got brave enough to leave, he'd have to be satisfied with his situation.

"Are you..? Are you crying?" The malice in his tone was reduced to concern as Finn wondered what gave it away, the jittering of his shoulders, or his sloppily wiped tears. His vision overall was blurry due to the lack of his glasses and the fire in his tears.

As he outstretched a masculine hand to caress Finn's cheek, he slapped it away and shook his head. He wanted to be alone, but Finn knew he couldn't handle it. He sucked in a labored breath and forced himself to stand up, his legs still somewhat achy from earlier. He needed to get away from Alistaire when he was in a foul mood- he was unpredictable, and Finn couldn't survive like this.

With a grunt and swing of his leg, he winced as his right foot connected with Alistaire's jaw, his efforts earning a violent scream as he held his face- it was Finn's opening to run, but not outside, not yet. He scrambled over him, his heart pounding out of his chest as he swung to grab around Finn's ankle. He slipped on the tile floor and sprinted toward the stairs, his calves throbbing as he scaled them.

"FINN!"

With a glance back, Finn shrieked- Alistaire's enraged face growing closer as he tried to find a room. Swinging the nearest door open, he clicked it behind him and slid underneath the bed, lying in the room's center. Finn heard Alistaire coming closer, the cramped space between the carpeted floor and the bed frame, making his anxiety spike. He left a water trail up until entering this room, and he was sure Alistaire would notice.

He watched in terror as his shadow dawned just outside the door, clasping a hand over his mouth as he trembled. If Alistaire got a hold of him now, he wouldn't make it until the morning.

⍝⍝⍝

With his shadow still hovering just outside the bedroom door, he kept his hands clamped over his mouth and forced himself to stay awake. It was late, and he was tired, but sleep could wait. What felt like an eternity was an hour after midnight when the shadow had finally moved.

Inching out from underneath the bed, Finn brushed himself off; everything was still throbbing, and his vision was still cloudy. His heart was racing as he twisted the door open, his hands trembling anxiously. Finn half expected Alistaire to pounce on him and push him down the stairs as he exited, but the brunette was nowhere in sight. He navigated himself through the darkened corridor and down the steps, his footsteps careful not to cause any disturbances.

As Finn made it to the front door, he felt his legs begin to wobble, the outline of a figure catching his attention- however, it was just the couch. He eased himself past the sofa and bit into his lip as he grew closer to the door. Finn finally had a chance to leave, but he didn't want to take it. Again, he was showing weakness- too afraid to bind Alistaire in the confines of his mind. His hesitation to run away made that clear.

"Finn?"

He ducked his head and dropped to his knees, Alistaire's honeyed voice once again drawing him in, like a siren's song. "Yes," he whispered, his cloudy eyes welling over once again with water as he hugged his knees to his chest.

Within a few seconds, he felt Alistaire's lips on his forehead, and his robe's warmth covered his skin. Finn looked up at him guiltily, as he was given a warm smile.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"Yes." Finn grabbed Alistaire's robe and slipped his arms in the sleeves, resting the back of his head against his lover's chest as he held him close.

"If I apologized, would you accept it?" His husky voice vibrated the skin on Finn's neck as he replaced his words with tantalizing actions.

The fiery kisses he landed on Finn's neck trailed downward as he tugged his robe to the side, forcing a moan to escape Finn's lips. He nodded hesitantly and swayed his head to the side as Alistaire grazed his teeth against his neck. "A-Alistaire..."

His fingers dug into Finn's thighs, spreading his trembling legs apart as he slipped his hands into the warmth of his oversized robe. Finn grabbed his wrist as his ears reddened, his heart skipping a beat as Alistaire grabbed around his throat and groaned.

"Am I forgiven?" He turned the blonde around to face him and studied his face, his thumb and index finger kneading his lover's soft cheeks.

He gave him a subtle nod and sighed as Alistaire released his grip, a crooked smile forming on the brunette's lips.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" his forehead was pressed against Finn's as he waited for a response, his amber eyes hidden behind his thick eyelashes.

He nodded and smiled at the brunette, intertwining his fingers with Alistaire's. "Could I get my glasses?"

"The ones you left in the bathroom after assaulting me?" he squinted, the coarseness in his voice putting Finn on edge as he pulled out a pair of round-rimmed glasses and placed them on the blonde's nose.

"Ah, thank you..." Finn's voice faltered to a whisper as he slumped against Alistaire's muscular chest, his eyes fluttering as he struggled to stay awake. Taking a fistful of the robe in his hands, Finn hummed and nuzzled himself into his partner.

"Do you want to go to bed?" As he asked his question, a faint snore sounded against his chest, forcing a smile across his lips as he kissed his lover's head. "I'll take that as a yes."