Loyal [boyxboy]

Run.

                  

"Where have you been for the last four days?" Lucas' brother exclaimed like it was his business.

Lucas only shot him a glare. "Out." His stay with Justin had been short and sweet, ending on a stiff note. It had been fine to start; having sex, Justin bringing him food, and hanging out while Justin was on shift. All up until Justin had found the switchblade Lucas had been holding onto and the questions that had come with it. Where did you get this? Why do you need a knife? That, combined with Justin trying to convince Justin to see some old friends had made it all too awkward. He'd left shortly after Justin had gone on another shift and would find Lucas gone when he got home.

"Don't give me that. Mom's been going out of her mind again," his brother spat, arms crossed over his chest.

Lucas rolled his eyes, which earned him a push from his brother. Lucas ground his teeth. "Don't touch me, Brad."

Brad snorted and cocked a grin at him. "What, because you think we're equal in a fight?" He grabbed Lucas by the arm, dragging him in.

Lucas had his free hand in his pocket and around his knife. He whipped it out, flicking the blade out as he got it pressed up against Brad's neck. Brad tried to back up, his eyes wide, but Lucas pinned him up against the wall with it. "I said, don't touch me." Lucas applied more pressure with the knife, watching a trickle of blood appear.

Brad twisted his lips. "Like you'd kill someone," he snapped angrily.

"And you'd like to test that theory out?" Lucas warned, using his other hand to dig his thumb deep under Brad's lower rib.

Brad let out a grunt of pain and tried to bend away but couldn't. "Just leave me alone for a few more days and I'm gone," Lucas stated coldly.

He backed off then, and Brad went to feeling up his own neck. Lucas huffed and went upstairs, plugging in the cellphone while he had the chance. He sat in his room for a few hours, doing nothing but playing with his knife and trying to think how he was going to get back out east when he turned eighteen.

Once the phone was charged he grabbed a few layers of jackets and swiped some food from the kitchen. The house was dark and everyone else was in their rooms for the night. He slipped out the back door and wandered around town until he could find an out of the way place to hide for the night.

He'd rather be outside in the cold than having to stay in that house. It was like living on the streets all over again—wondering if someone was going to attack him in his sleep, and stressing every minute about what might happen to him.

He settled down in a nook behind a church and pulled out his cellphone. He hesitated and stared at Nick's number. They had been texting nonsense over the past couple of days, but Lucas hadn't called as his battery life dwindled at Justin's apartment.

Lucas gave in and called, even though it was significantly later for Nick. "Hey, what's up?" Nick answered gruffly—obviously trying to sound like he had been awake to begin with.

"Not much," Lucas muttered, ducking down into his jackets. "Counting down the days."

"Me too... Joshua is all crabby and Tom is too without you here. I heard them talking about some problem with a senator—"

"Shit," Lucas remembered hissing under his breath. "I forgot about him."

"Who?" Nick questioned.

Lucas wasn't stupid enough to say a name. "Someone I'm sleeping with."

Nick was silent on the other end of the phone before croaking out a, "what?"

Lucas closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything after all. "A guy I have sex with once or twice a week."