Neighbors CH7
Title: Neighbors
Author: a_life_defiant
Beta: lexa4227 (You're awesome! ♥♥♥)
Genre: AU, WIP
Warnings: abuse, mentions of rape, angst. (also gore in this chapter)
Word count: 1,114
Summary: Just because you live next to someone, it doesn't mean you know shit about them.
Disclaimer: Not mine && they aren't paying the rent! Strictly an obsession!
Banner by the goddess that is foreverbm (Thanks so much Viv! )
Previous chapters HERE
A/N: This chapter has some pretty gruesome imagery, you've been warned. Things are just going to keep getting darker, but I do hope you'll stay with it. That being said, whaddya think? Am I getting too nuts with this, or do we still likey?
Brian pulled Justin roughly away from the box when he saw its contents. Even though he wasn’t sure what the fuck he was really seeing - he just knew it was blood, and a lot of it. Justin was sobbing uncontrollably and shaking in Brian’s arms. Brian tipped the lid back on the box with his foot and tried to get Justin to look at him.
“Hey, hey. Justin. Talk to me.” He prodded gently while rubbing the blondes back. Justin could barely see through tears in his eyes; though that didn’t matter much to him. He thought he never wanted to see anything again as long as he lived. Although he quickly amended that thought when he looked into Brian’s eyes. Brian. He didn’t know what all that in the box used to be. Justin breathed deeply a few times through his nose and wiped his eyes clean.
“Cody…..h-he killed him.” Justin sniffled; the sobs starting to build in his throat again.
Brian hugged the blonde closer to his bare chest; it was awkward, but it seemed to help calm the boy down. Justin burrowed his face into Brian’s shoulder and spoke in choked syllables and shuddery breaths.
“E…than. M-m-my cat. He killed my c-cat, Brian.”
Brian’s stomach gave a sick lurch. He’d read somewhere that that’s how serial killers start out; killing small animals. He loosened his grip on Justin and cupped the boy’s jaw.
“Go upstairs and lie down, I’m going to call the cops and take care of this, ok? That fucker isn’t going to get away with this.” Brian’s face was set in a stony, determined look; a look that made Justin feel a little safer. Justin walked slowly up to the bed. He felt like he was walking through mud; his thoughts too heavy to bear. Why hadn’t he just taken Ethan with him, or asked Brian to retrieve the cat? He didn’t think Cody would hurt the animal. He’d never showed malice to Ethan before.
Justin curled in on himself as he lay on the bed; crying for the pain that his only companion must’ve endured.
Brian sighed deeply as he heard Justin begin to weep again. Was the poor kid ever going to catch a break? He turned toward the box and steeled himself. He unwrapped his towel from his waist and grabbed the box at the edges; trying to preserve and fingerprints that might be on it. He moved it to the counter top and then opened it. He was not prepared at all for the full visual. He knew it was supposed to have been a cat, but it sure as hell didn’t look that way. All Brian saw was bits of fur and intestine. Ian - or whateverthefuck the cats name was - was splayed open; completely disemboweled. Brian heard Justin choke back another sob and thought to himself, ‘…all this needs is some violin music and you’d have a Lifetime movie…’ Though he always thought violins sounded like dying cats. Brian laughed darkly; it wasn’t really funny, but he was surprised where his thought process had gone - given the situation.
Brian put the lid back on the box; unable to look any longer at the gore. He picked up his cell and called Carl. Right after he got off the phone the food came. Brian was no longer hungry and he was sure Justin wasn’t either, so he threw it all into the trash. Five minutes later, there were two policemen at his door. It really paid to have a surrogate Mom whose boyfriend was police chief.
The cops were in the loft for a little over an hour; taking statements and bagging evidence. By then end of it all Brian felt completely exhausted. He began shutting all the lights off in the loft; making his way to the bedroom. He found Justin in the middle of the bed asleep; his face covered in tear-tracks. He scooted onto the bed and tried to move Justin over, but the blonde had other ideas. Justin rolled into Brian’s arms and snuggled against him. Brian grimaced. This was far too much like cuddling for his taste, but he felt….weird about shoving Justin off. So he just pulled the covers up over them both and held the blonde tighter.
He hadn’t been worried up until now. He thought Justin was exaggerating about Cody being psychotic. After all, if someone is beating the shit out of you daily you don’t exactly see them through rose-colored glasses. However, the gruesome turn of events made Brian reevaluate everything. He hoped that the cops would find Cody before it escalated further.
He looked down on the boy in his arms, so innocent looking; but so broken. The cuts on his face were healing up pretty fast and Brian was amazed at just how young he looked. He smoothed some hair away from the blondes’ brow and sighed. He knew he should try to get some sleep while he could, but he was unable to tear his gaze away from the smaller man.
Justin felt himself being stared at. He’d been awake since Brian started turning off the lights; but didn’t want to talk, so he faked sleep. When the other man tried to push him over Justin felt the panic start to rise in his throat, so he just snuggled into Brian’s side. He thought for sure his neighbor would know he was awake, but he was surprised when Brian pulled up the covers and wrapped his arms tighter. He was even more stunned by the gentle caress of the older man and his lingering gaze. Justin inhaled deeply; Brian’s scent filled his nostrils. He smelled a bit like sweet rum, amber, and suede. Rich and comforting; Brian smelled like the home he never really had. He wondered briefly how it was that he felt so safe with a man he barely knew. Whatever the reason, he was going to let himself experience it while he could. Tonight he felt protected, tonight he felt cared for, tonight he felt more healed than he had in a long time and he never wanted that to end. So he breathed Brian in again, over and over; lulling himself to sleep.
As both men were taken by the night, they had no idea that someone was plotting their demise. Cody was shaking with rage. He was so sure Justin would have seen the present and then came running back. Didn’t he know that Ethan was a token? Didn’t he know??? Cody thought maybe their neighbor had been clouding Justin’s mind; maybe even holding him hostage. He would have to resort to more drastic measures…
TBC…