Falling Apart

Ashley Wren is mildly traumatised.

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IMPORTANT!

So I know I normally don't put these first but I'm going to have to warn you guys. Not to give away spoilers but it gets a bit... awful for one of the characters in this story. But not too bad. You'll see what I mean.

Oh, and sorry in advance.

Trigger warning (don't read this if you have no triggers and don't want spoilers.)

Uncomfortable sexual content and violence.

- I. Tamilore Onkọwe
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Ashley sipped at his hot chocolate, trying to calm his frightened nerves. He shouldn't have expected the quiet piece he'd built to last so long. At the very least he thought a few weeks would pass before his past would catch up with him.

Ashley looked up to see Ethan's worried eyes. The taller man stared at him expectantly brows furrowed slightly.

"Her name is Bella." He spoke. "Her father is the reason I'm out on the streets."

Then Ashley tells his story...

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Ashley Wren doesn't quite know what to do when his father started acting differently. Different in that he started drinking more, lost his second job and started meeting Jonathan, the landlord more. Ashley likes Jonathan. He's friends with, Bella, the man's daughter and he usually comes over to Jonathan's house for dinner on Sunday's or when he needs to avoid his father.

Right now his father is in the middle of one of his drunken episodes, so Ashley's got himself locked up in his bedroom. His father always got weird when he was drunk, not violent, he didn't need the alcohol for that, but oddly touchy-feely, constantly cooing about how much Ashley looked like his mother. It happened more and more, every interaction making Ashley's skin crawl.

I need to get out of here and fast.

He's got money saved up under his bed for just that, most of it from the day job he picked up after high school. He'd done well, enough to skip a year, but not enough for a free ride to college so he was stuck with his dad till he could afford to live alone.

Suddenly, Ashley heard a knock from behind his door, ignoring it at first since he just thought it was his father. The knocking became more insistent, and Ashley rolled off the bed with a soft sigh.

"Dad is that you?" Ashley spoke through the door, waiting for his father's seemingly inevitable slurring voice. "Just sleep it off."

"It's not your father."

"Jonathan?" Ashley unlocked the door, pushing it open a crack to peak out and look around. "Is Bella here?"

Jonathan Fray was tall with black hair that Ashley thought had a bit too much product and narrow grey eyes.

"No. It's just me. Your father's passed out in the living room." Jonathan glanced into Ashley's empty room. "Can I come in?"

The question had Ashley tensing up, unconsciously he took a step back, gripping his doorknob tighter within his hand. "W-Why?"

Jonathan shrugged like it was perfectly normal. "I just want to talk to you."

"I-I don't think that's a good idea." Ashley took another step back.

Jonathan sighed, cracking his knuckles and took a step forward.

Ashley slammed his door in Jonathan's face, locking it shut behind him as quickly as possible. He dives under his bed, searching for his hidden stash of money. He knows he has to be quick; the door wouldn't hold Jonathan for long.

Guess I'm leaving sooner than I thought.

"Ashley, open the damn door!" Jonathan demands, banging on the door repeatedly.

"No, leave me alone!" Ashley finds the small wooden box where his money is. Well, where it used to be. The padlock was broken, and the only thing left was twenty dollars.

That drunk stole my money!

Crack! Ashley bolts up. There's a hole in the door now, Jonathan's hand jammed through as he fumbles for the lock.

Ashley turns back and opens his window, ready to hop out onto the next floor's fire escape, thankful he just lived on the second floor.

He's about to do it when the door flings open and large arms wrap tightly around his waist then pull him back.

"Where are you running off to Ashley?" Jonathan whispers into Ashley's ear, making him shiver in disgust.

Jonathan pushes Ashley down to the floor, trapping his hands behind him with one hand.

"Get off me you piece of shit!" Ashley kicks blindingly. Jonathan just chuckles, completely unaffected.

"Such a dirty mouth for something so pretty." The sound of a zipper being pulled down has Ashley kicking, even more, struggling to weasel his way out from Jonathan's grasp. "I knew you're father would get desperate. He still hasn't paid last months rent, told him I'd forgive it if I got a little time alone with you."

Jonathan's hand cups Ashley's face, who takes the chance to bite down. Hard. He rears back, clutching his hand. Ashley almost didn't see the slap coming.

Ashley hit him back, trying to hurt him as much as possible before what seemed inevitable. As his fist connected with Jonathan's face, Ashley felt a burst of energy runs through him. Jonathan scrambled back, clutching his face in his hands. There's a silver indentation where Ashley's fist landed, and it's growing quickly, spreading across the man's face and down his neck.

Soon enough he's petrified in the corner of Ashley's room, his body a messy patchwork of silver and gold.

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Ashley looks up at Ethan as he manages to speak the last few words. The taller man looked angry, which caused Ashley to tense up until he realised the anger definitely wasn't directed at him.

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I'm so so sorry guys. Immensely. But at least the bastards dead.

- I. Tamilore Onkọwe

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