Credence Barebone Preferences

When You Help Him

A/N: Mentions of abuse. Sorry.

Rain drizzled. Quiet sobs filled the air.

A gasp caught in your throat as you watched him tremble, huddled in that cold and filthy alleyway. Such a heartbreaking sight. There was no way you were going to leave such a terrified creature alone. "Sir?" you enquired, as you tentively took a step towards him.

He didn't reply.

Slowly you approached, apprehensive not to frighten him further with your presence. "Sir?" you whispered again.

Kneeling down before him, you carefully reached out to him, your fingers lightly touching his shoulder. Without warning, he flinched away from you, eyes wide with undeniable terror. He recoiled away from you, curling even further into himself.

"Whoa, whoa, hey. Hey," you calmly attempted to reassure him that you weren't a threat. "I'm friendly. Promise." you softly smiled, holding your hands in a surrending manner, showing that you meant no harm. "I just want to help."

He watched you warily, suspicious of who you were. "Who are you?" he hissed, worried that his Mother had sent you. That woman was well connected. No doubt someone was looking for him, the runaway Barebone boy. If found, he was sure to be punished further.

You almost laughed at your stupidity. Of course he would be cautiously of you, you were a complete stranger, who had approached him when in his most vunerable state. "Right. Sorry." you blushed, clearly embarrassed by your mistake. "I'm (y/n)." you smiled at the injured male and waited for him to reply.

He didn't but instead nodded, visibly relieved about something. You didn't know what.

Credence was indeed relieved that you weren't linked to his Mother. You weren't going to force him to return to that...that...hellion.

Minutes passed and you hadn't failed to notice the angry, red and raw cuts that littered his hands. Fresh and oozing.

You felt sick to your stomach. Who had done this to him? What monster would hurt another person like that?

"Those look painful." you commented, unsure what else to say. The boy was as shy as a baby fawn, one wrong word and he'd most likely shut you out completely.

He nodded again, eye contact dropping from yours to look at the wounds he had gained only hours earlier.

"Who..." you hesitantly began to question him. "Who did this to you?"

When he failed to answer you, you realised this the situation was more serious than you had initially considered it to be. He was understandably scared of whoever had harmed him.

You suddenly had an overwhelming need to help this defenceless, dark-haired male. "It's okay." you eventually said. "You don't have to tell me." you paused, biting your lip.

He observed you uneasily, confused as to why you looked so concerned. Why were you being so nice to him? "What do you want?" he hissed. The only time someone was nice to him, was when they wanted something from him.

You frowned at his question. "Want?"

Credence nodded, a look of hatred marred his porcelain features.

"I...I don't want anything. Well, actually, I want to help you." you replied honestly. "I guess that's what I want."

"Why?" he demanded.

Sighing, you looked down at your hands, almost blue from the harsh and wintery NYC weather. Why did you want to assist him so badly? "I-" you cleared your throat. "I don't know." you cringed at your lame excuse. "I just know that I don't like seeing someone so distressed and alone. No one deserves to feel or be in that kind if state."

The exhausted male mentally analysed your reply. You sounded sincere enough. You hadn't attempted to drag him back to Mary Lou, so that was a bonus. Plus, there was something trustful about your facial features and soft expression, which made Credence hope that you truly were someone kind, whom did just want to help him.

"Credence." he eventually whispered, almost too quiet for you to hear.

When you realised that he had just told you his name, your smile involuntarily widened. "Credence? That's an interesting name." looking up at the sky, you noticed that though the light rain had ceased, dark clouds still loomed ahead, their dark grey threatened a
heavy downpour. Something you definitely did not want to be caught in. "So, Credence," you focused your attention on him once more. "will you let me help you?