the little things.

he is okay.

but that was before, before he began giving up the little pieces of himself and replaced them with little pieces of him.

"i'm sorry," he whimpers, cradles his cheeks and feels his bones tremble and oh god he's sorry, because this is his fault, he knows, is aware that he was in the wrong in their dispute and that he shouldn't of said what he did and that he deserves this, because he is good to him, and he doesn't think twice when his boyfriend simply takes him into his arms and shushes him, whispers i forgive you and it's okay.

it is the first time, but it is definitely not the last, although they are few and far in-between. scott begins asking nicole and kirstie for make-up tips, practices and masters covering up his bruises to avoid suspicion, walking as if there isn't a limp to his leg. by the fifth he has come to terms with his relationship, has convinced himself that everything his boyfriend does is simply out of love.

the fifth time had been that morning, a cut to his cheek accidentally caused with a fork during breakfast, and he has a bandage pressed to it, blames it on a stray cat that he came across on his way to the café. kirstie had invited him out, wanted to catch up with him after their two weeks apart, says she wants him to meet a friend of hers, and that is when he meets mitch.

when they meet mitch is all smiles and bright eyes and rosy cheeks and scott feels a way he hasn't since he meet his current lover. his heart hurts in his chest and his skin flushes pink whenever their eyes make contact and soon enough they forget about kirstie and she doesn't mind, takes in how happy her tall friend looks and achingly realizes she missed it.

they spend hours simply talking, sipping at their drinks until they grow cold and they're forced to buy more to bide their time. it is getting dark, the sun peeking over the horizon behind buildings when they realize it has gotten late and kirstie left long ago, the café having emptied exponentially over time. before they part it is with traded numbers and bright smiles, a promise on both ends to see each other again as soon as possible.

scott spends the next day hiding a limp.

after that the duo begin spending more and more time together, making days out of minutes and twisting scott's lips into smiles he forgot he could create. it has been a long time since he'd felt this happy being near someone, with someone, and despite his mind yelling at him not to the blond begins letting his false smiles down around mitch, doesn't even notice when he begins to fall.

one night he breaks down, and mitch holds him through it, rubs his back and lets the blonde soak the shoulder of his shirt with tears and shushes him with forgiveness when the blonde apologizes for ruining it. it's a foreign feeling to him, someone comforting him through a breakdown with praise. you're perfect and i love you, the brunette whispers, i'm here for you, and for some reason scott believes him.

he isn't sure what it is about the moment, what it is about mitch, if it was simply something triggered by his break down, but suddenly he's murmuring his secrets, whispering to mitch about ryan and his hurtful words warped with love and how some nights he hits him but he deserves it and if the brunette begins crying then neither of them mention it.

scott doesn't see his best friend and crush again for a week after that, wonders if he's ruined one of the only stable relationships in his life and lost one of the few people who cared about him and he cared about in return, but then one night it is one in the morning and he's waiting on the couch for ryan to return home from the bar and his phone lights up with a text.

grab a suitcase or bag and stuff everything you can into it, be outside in half n hour

the message is strange, confuses him and worries him all at once but scott listens like the obedient little boy he is, grabs the largest suitcase they own and stuffs it with clothes and money and books and all of his belongings, puts anything he can't fit in the suitcase in a smaller one hidden away in the closet and is outside of the apartment complex with both five minutes ahead of schedule.