Treasure Hunt (boyxboy) [Rewrite]

Treasure Hunt | Eleven

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I could hear the music booming around me, sounding a million miles away. I couldn't move. Too heavy. Too much pain. Whole body was hurting, but I couldn't make it stop. Why couldn't I move? My eyes fluttered, open and close. Open and close. Open and close. But I wasn't seeing anything.

And then I had a vague sense of what was going on: something – no, someone – much, much heavier was holding me down. Was hurting me. But I couldn't make them stop. I tried to move, but my own body was too heavy. I screamed, but nothing came out.

They stopped, and I was rolled over on to my back. I was gonna throw up, I could feel it threatening to rise. I felt a hand on my chin, pulling my face into their's, "What's the matter," Their voice was like nails on a chalkboard. "Can't hold your liquor?" They laughed, cruelly before letting go of me.

I never should have left the house.

I never should have left the house.

I never should have left the house.

I never should have tried to go see him.

I could barely drive myself home, barely able to see through the tears. I'd made it home, thankfully, in one piece. Unthankfully, I couldn't stop fucking crying. I felt sick to my stomach, and I prayed I didn't make myself throw up from crying so hard.

I stood over the sink, my hands holding on so tight to the sides that my knuckles were turning white. I could hear the front door unlocking from where I stood in the bathroom, knowing it would be Loran with Zach. That's how long I'd been crying. I did my best to look presentable, but that was an understatement.

"Dalton?" It was Loran.

"In the bathroom." How was I supposed to hide puffy eyes?

I splashed cool water on my face before leaving the bathroom; almost immediately, Zach's little feet ran at me, "Daddy, look what I drew at school today!" He said, excitedly, hugging my legs, but upon looking up at my face, his little smile dropped. "What's wrong, Daddy?"

Zach's worried voice caught Loran's attention. The only thing I was wishing wouldn't happen. "Zach, give him some space." I heard him say before he came up to me, too. "What's the matter?"

"I'm fine." Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

"Dalton, you've been crying." He tilted my face by my chin but I pushed his hand away, not looking at him. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"It's just a bad day," I didn't mean to snap, but I still did. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Dalton –"

"Please." I begged. "Loran, I really don't want to."

I couldn't tell him that I went to see Adam. Even if it was to just say goodbye, he'd be hurt. And I didn't want to hurt him. And I didn't want to tell him that I saw him. I just wanted to forget that this whole day ever happened.

He stroked the side of my face, placing a kiss to my temple. I held in a grimace, the feeling of being touched at all was too much for me right now. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you, constantly."

I didn't say anything.

I was glad that Loran left the situation alone. He never brought it back up, because I never brought it back up. That was another thing I'd learned early on about him, he knew when to drop things and leave them alone.

It'd been a couple of weeks since, and yesterday was my first steroid shot. And today, I'd be going back for my second. My anxiety was at an all time high, and everything felt like it was setting me off at this point.

We were sitting in the room, waiting for the nurse to come back. "What's on your mind?" Loran asked, quietly, from the seat next to the bed.

I was staring at the door, and I couldn't stop my leg from bouncing up and down. "A lot."

"A lot like what?"

"Just thinking about the future," I shrugged, placing my hand on my belly and rubbing it, feeling a little foot kick back at me. "I have an entire human sitting inside me right now. And I'm just thinking about their entire future...how I'm responsible for making sure they have the best future possible."

"It's hard," he nodded. "But it's so worth it."

"Were you scared when Zach was born?"

"Scared shitless is an understatement." he said.

"Really?"

Another nod, but he seemed to be staring off. "I was scared that I had to grow up so fast, and I'll admit, watching Logan get act our age made me jealous. But having this...little person who was depending on me for his entire everything made me realize that being a dad is what I was meant to do."

"You're so good at it, too." I reached out to touch his face, stroking his cheek and he kissed the back of my hand.

"The reason I'm so...reserved-"

"I could think of better words than that," I mumbled.

"I'm sure you could." He breathed out hard through his nose, "but the reason I'm like that is because I can't just let anyone in. If I don't find someone being beneficial to Zach's life, I don't let them. Not anymore."

I wanted to know what that meant, but the sad look in his eye made me not want to ask, and I wouldn't have gotten the chance to as we heard, "McKnight?" Along with a knock on the door.

"Come in." I said.

The same nurse as yesterday entered the room, she was a short woman, probably early twenties, with a blonde ponytail that bounced when she walked. "How are you feeling?" She smiled.

"Pretty okay."

"That's great!" She washed her hands and then slid on a pair of gloves. "Okay. We're gonna do the same exact thing as yesterday: small shot in the butt and it'll be over before you know it."

I wanted to scoff at the 'over before you know it' because that was a lie. The first one burned, for at least an hour afterwards, and I really wasn't looking forward to another shot in the butt. It wasn't actually a shot in the butt, rather than top of the cheek, closer to the hip, but still. And there was nothing more awkward than having to lean over the bed with part of my asscheek out in front of Loran.

Of course, being the respectful person that he was, he looked away, but that didn't stop him from snickering at me. Anything for a healthy baby. Anything for a healthy baby. Anything for a healthy baby.

The shot itself was administered slowly, because anything faster made the burning so much worse. When it was over, she had to rub the spot to get it to circulate, and I heard Loran laughing again, only because he knew how embarrassed I felt.

Like I kept reminding myself, anything for a healthy baby.