"Dad?" Hunters voice echoed through the empty halls of his home, where the sounds ricocheted off of the old ghosts that frequented the walls. As it usually did, the TV played quietly from the living room, where he was sure that Karofsky was sprawled, either passed out or close to the brink of losing his head. "Dad!" Turning around the corner, Hunter peered into the seemingly empty room, his eyes adjusting to the flashes of light that changed in brightness with each flicker on the screen. He heard a low snore, which made him roll his eyes as he crossed the room, bending over the couch that Karofsky always lay down on when he got back from work.

Touching Karofskys flabby cheek, Hunter flinched at how clammy his skin was. Hed drank one bottle too many. Slowly kneeling beside the edge of the couch, he lowered his hands to his dads, pinching the cold pieces of flesh in his fingers. Picking up the sound of a rumble as Karofsky shifted around, flopping onto his back, where he fell heavily, Hunter muttered quietly, "Dad, how much have you drank today?"

"Hm...?" was all Karofsky gave him, a pained sound, as if it hurt to even move his throat. "Mm... the glass of water. Hand me the glass." Karofskys hand moved from Hunters, so he let him go, reaching behind him for a cool glass. When his fingers found it, he nearly knocked it over, but he quickly snatched it before it fell over. He placed the glass in Karofskys shaking hand, listening to the noises of him swallowing thickly. He wondered how long he had been dehydrated.

"At least you listened to me when I told you to water down your cups." Hunter grumbled, taking the glass back when Karofsky thrust it at him. "Dad, you cant keep drinking like this. You need to stay off of this couch. Youve already taken years off of your life." Standing once more, Hunter went over to the TV, pressing a button to shut it off. He went in the direction that he knew the window was in, grabbing one of the musty curtains and yanking it to the side. Karofsky released a rough growl, as if he would burst into flames if the light hit his skin. Hunter raised a single brow, returning to the couch, where he collected a few of the half emptied beer bottles. "Dont complain. You sounded like a zombie. I was doing you a favor." He was about to leave the room so he could collect what he wanted from the kitchen, but a sudden thought caused him pause, and he twisted back around. "Hey... Dad? Can I talk to you about something?"

Karofsky didnt say another word, so Hunter assumed that hed either drifted off once more or was silently putting up with Hunters need for conversation. Putting aside the sticky bottles, Hunter lowered to his knees, holding his hands out and placing them on top of Karofskys. "Dad... do you still have your clothes from homecoming or prom?" He felt Karofskys hands twitch in his, a blister scratching the soft skin under his fingers. "Can I use them... just for one night? Tonight. Ill bring them back in one piece." Karofsky was still speechless, so Hunter quietly pleaded, "Dad, I met someone. A boy. Hes nice. I really like him."

When Karofsky finally spoke up, his tone grated on Hunters sensitive ears. He knew how his dad felt about him going out with his friends, and he couldnt expect him to do anything to encourage it, but Hunter could hope. He always hoped to, if only for one day, have something like a real dad, someone he could discuss the boy he loved with, laugh with about the stories he would bring back from homecoming, and cry with when he had his heart broken. Unfortunately, the only one who ever broke his heart was Karofsky. "Youre going out with a boy tonight?"

Hunter nodded his head, "Yeah... Dad. I asked him to homecoming last weekend. He said he would go with me." Hesitantly lifting his dads muscular hand to his face, he held it against his trembling lips, feeling his eyes swell up. He hated the way that his dad disapproved of everything he did. For once, he just wanted his approval about something, especially if Archer was that thing. "Can I use the clothes? Dad... hes good-"

Hunter gasped when Karofsky, clearly annoyed by the turn of their talk, pushed him back with a hard hand to his chest. Gripping the edge of the table so he wasnt shoved flat on his back, Hunter opened his mouth to beg him to stop, but Karofskys flat voice cut him off, "Just get out of here." Hunter pulled his hands away from his dads, staring at the moving silhouette of him with a pair of wide eyes. He tried to reason with him once more, but before he could get the words out, a large hand clapped over his mouth, the side of it ripping between his sealed lips and peeling them apart. Hunter felt his top gum ache when a stubby fingernail scraped over it, and he tasted the dribble of blood as it leaked from the open cut. "I told you I didnt want to hear about it!" Karofsky abruptly screamed, his voice restored just enough that he could get out the first word before it broke. "Just shut up!"

Hunter could always react before Karofsky got the upper hand, but this time a pair of strong hands came to his shoulders, gripping them so tightly that he felt one of his muscles clench up uncomfortably. Karofsky threw him down to the floor, which Hunter banged his shoulder against, before the rest of him hit it with a thud. "Dad-!" Hunter choked, flinging his hands up as his eyes frantically flitted around, trying to pick out the moving form above him. "Thats enough!"

He felt his body arch upwards as Karofsky fisted his hands into his shirt, peeling it up his stomach and chest. "Ive been more than understanding, Hunter! I let you fuck all of the girls you want! I cant let you be with a boy-" He huffed as Hunter swung an arm out at him, catching him across his straining forearm and making him uncurl that hand. "Stop fighting me!" One hand lowered to his hair, bunching up a few strands and yanking them away from his scalp.  Thrashing out with his lower body, Hunter felt himself be dragged across the floor, his ass burning as it scooted over the wiry carpet.

Suddenly, everything stopped moving, and Hunter collapsed to the ground, gasping as he searched the area around him. He yelped when a firm hand clasped over his mouth, slamming his head against a hard surface. White lights flashed in his blackened eyes, and it wasnt seconds before he felt something warm seeping down the nape of his neck, making the collar of his shirt moist against his shuddering back. "Dad, no-" Hunter croaked, the last image he saw before his eyes rolled shut the faint outline of his dads large hands, stretching something out between them. There was a ripping sound, and then something gooey, but stiff, stuck over his lips, pulling at the stubble that surrounded them. He tried to lick at his dry mouth, but when he poked his tongue out, he got a sour taste that made him pull it back in. "Dad-" he tried, but his voice was nothing more than a croak. Itd been such a long time since Hunter had seen a different black than the one that he stared at all day long, but this one had no white to it, just the inky blackness of an empty mind. And then he saw blue.

Archer hopelessly fiddled with the ends of his hair, the curly strands hanging limply around his ashen face. Hed had less than a few hours of sleep last night, which left him bedraggled and shuffling around like a kicked puppy, his lips chewed until they were chapped and dark circles enveloped around his blue eyes. Giving up on fixing himself, he shoved his hair off of his face, letting the curls fall wherever they would, as he rose from the chair in front of his mirror. Hearing a quiet knock on his door, he called for whomever it was to come in, and, as he kept looking over himself in the mirror, he saw the petite form of his père creep in like a small mouse sneaking a bite of cheese.

"Hello, dear." His père said gently, arriving at the bottom of the stairs and pausing for a moment to flick his eyes around the room, which Archer had decorated with bluish colors, besides the soft, golden glow of the candles, and the varied colors in the pictures that were hung on the wall. "It feels just like it did when this was my bedroom. I was very young, you know... just about your age."

Smiling at his père, Archer smoothed the front of his simple, black jacket, which was folded over a blue undershirt. He toyed with the bowtie that was looped around his neck, hearing his père giggle behind him. "Let me help you with that. It is lopsided." A pair of arms wrapped around his neck, and his père quickly undid the knot, twisting the strings around each other at a different length. "Sweetheart, you look beautiful. Hunter is a very lucky man."

Archer blinked at his ragged appearance, playing with the ends of his hair once more. "Are you sure, Père?" He twisted around to face his père, who gave him a sweet smile. His père reached up for his wild curls, smoothing his fingers through them until they were tamed enough to look presentable. "Thank you... for the outfit. Its amazing." Turning toward his nightstand, Archer pursed his lips at the sight of the clock, which showed that it was ten minutes until eight, when Hunter said he would be there. "I should go upstairs. Hunter will be here soon."

Placing his hand at the small of Archers back, his père murmured softly, "Your daddy is waiting upstairs for you. He just wants to tell you to have a good night. He also wouldnt mind saying hello to Hunter again." The two of them padded upstairs, sides brushing and arms hooked around each other. There was no one that Archer could lean on more than he did his père. When they arrived at the top of the steps, his père pushed the door aside, and Archer was instantly faced with his daddy, who was standing on the other side, shoulders hunched and hands shoved in his pockets. Archer had to resist jumping into his arms and pressing kisses all over his cheeks.

"Hi, Daddy." Archer peeped, a small smile breaking onto his face when his daddy held his arms open. He crumpled into his strong chest, breathing out heavily when his arms wound around him. "Ill be safe tonight, I promise. Hunter wouldnt do anything bad to me. I know that you dont know him, but he has a good heart. Trust me." Inhaling the scent of his daddys spicy cologne, which smelled so much like the kind that Hunter wore, Archer closed his eyes, remaining in his daddys powerful grip until his père lightly tugged him back.

"Honey, its eight." He murmured to him, looking at him with a pair of concerned eyes. Archer returned his gaze with a blank stare, and then he swung his head around to the door, checking it as if he would magically appear behind it at Archers beck and call. Suddenly, he felt a squeeze to his hand, and he turned back to his père. "Why dont you give him a few more minutes? Im sure he has a perfectly good reason for being-" His père stopped speaking at the sound of a phone ringing, and his blond brows furrowed as he glanced down at Archers pocket, which had lit up.

Archer fumbled for it, not checking the name on the screen before he answered, "Hunter?"

"No, its me." Dillon nearly shouted through a strained voice, making Archer frown. He could hear thumping in the background, the low, muffled beat of music drumming into his ear and puncturing it. "Archer, are you with Hunter yet? Ive been calling him, but hes not picking up."

Wrinkling a brow, Archer shook his head at his père when he stepped closer to him, laying a hand on his arm. "No... Hunter isnt here yet. Why are you calling him? Do you think something is wrong?"

"Maybe." Dillon said immediately, and then his voice lowered, as if he had pulled the phone away from his face. "Ive got to go. Ill call you later-"

"Wait... Dillon." Archer whined, "What is going on? Where is Hunter?"

"I dont think hell be there." was all Dillon gave him, and then the line clicked off, leaving Archer with nothing but a high pitched ringing in his ear. He blurted Dillons name again, but he was already gone, and Archer wasnt sure if he should call him back, or try Hunters number.

"Hunter?" Archer said to no one, pulling his phone away from his ear and staring at the blank screen, which flashed on and off, informing him that a call had ended. Feeling his daddys hand come to his shoulder, Archer pulled away from him, his wide eyes searching his troubled face. "I thought he would come." He whispered, his hand raising to his head and shoving aside the curls that his père had worked so meticulously to smooth. "Dillon said he wont be here. Why would he do this to me, Daddy? He said he wouldnt hurt me!"

"Archer-" His daddy grunted, stepping toward him when Archer bent over, trying to stifle a loud sob that bellowed from his lips. Before he fell to his knees, his daddy scooped him into his arms, pulling him over to the couch and sitting him down. He brought his trembling body to his chest, gently rubbing his back as he broke down into sudden, uncontrollable tears. "Sweetheart, Ive got you. Dont cry. Dont let him make you cry. Daddys here-"

Archer buried his face in his daddys legs, feeling his hands stroke shapes over his back, while his père knelt beside of them and threaded his thin fingers through Archers curls. "He told me he loved me, Daddy." Archer hiccupped, feeling almost as devastated as when he lost his Hunter for the first time. He loved both of them, and they had betrayed him.

Hunter shook his groggy head, coming to in slow spurts, as he faded in and out. He was stuck somewhere between something and nothing, unable to keep his head above the water. Spitting out the bile that had swelled in his throat, he groaned when it smeared over his lips, which he couldnt pull apart because they were mashed together. He pulled his hands up so he could grab for his lips to see what was smothering them, but he found them pinned to something hard. Scraping his head against the wall, Hunter narrowed his eyes at what he realized were pieces of tape that were stretched across him in long strips. He curled his hands into tight fists and plucked the papery substance off of his knuckles, using his blunt fingernails to dig away at the dried glue.

Raising his raw hands to his mouth, he pulled at the corners of the tape, whimpering as it ripped fuzzy hair from around his chapped lips. He sucked his lips in to wet them, hissing at the way they stung. "Dammit." He whispered hoarsely, whacking one fist to the floor. Feeling his stomach heave, Hunter choked out another strand of mucus, the taste of glue settling in his mouth as he hacked and coughed. "Where is...?" Suddenly whipping his head to the side, he moaned as his temples throbbed, making him bow his head over. "Archer. I have to find Archer."

He pushed himself away from the wall, his bones creaking as they stretched out from the stiff form that they had been trapped in. "Archer." He mumbled again, his disoriented eyes picking out single lines of light that let him focus on the outlines of nearby objects. "Archer. Where is he?" Sinking his fingers into the carpet, Hunter boosted himself up to his knees, which trembled weakly. He peeled himself off of the floor, leaning his shoulder on the wall until he got his footing back. As he idly rested against the wall, it all came rushing back to him, and his eyes flew open wide, snapping around the room as he hunted for Karofskys moving form. To his relief, he had already gone. Hunter wondered how long he had been passed out there.

"Shit!" He shouted when he remembered what was happening tonight, and he darted over to the window, even though his head smarted against the swiftness in his legs. Throwing aside the curtain, he peered out into the blackness, one that was illuminated by so many stars that he realized how late it was. "Archer... shit. Archer." Whipping around on his heel, Hunter stormed over to the front door, flinging it open and marching into the bitter air. He yelped as the nippy wind sank into his open cuts. He gripped his bike with an unsteady hand as he swung a leg over it. "Archer... please..."

Backing his bike to the edge of the driveway, Hunter picked his feet up, feeling his body tip to the right because he couldnt keep his head straight. "Archer..." he whispered, his voice blowing away as the wind snagged it from his lips. Breathlessly, Hunter tried to keep his bike from wobbling as he sped down the road. Hed never experienced such agony, the fight to keep from drowning. When his ears clogged with rushing wind, he tilted his head to the side, relying only on his blurry eyes to make out shapes and lights and motions.

He had never been so relieved to step off of his bike as he was when he slowed down at Archers house. Stumbling off of the seat, Hunter lifted his foot from the pedal, which it was hooked onto. "Archer." He begged, staggering up to the dimly lighted home. "Please." His stomach rolled one last time as he stepped up on the porch, and then he lost the ability to feel most of his limbs. He could only remember the sound of knocking, and then an unknown amount of time passed before he made out voices, one very gravelly to his ears.

"What makes you think you can come here to see my son after what you did?" Someone growled, a question that Hunter thought he made out correctly. And then there was no noise, except for the sound of crunching. Blood drained into the pit of his mouth. He wasnt sure if he puked it out. He thought something else crackled, and then there was a sound of slamming, followed by shrieking.

"Daddy, no! Youre hurting him!" A familiar voice screamed, and then a higher pitched voice cried for someone named Blaine to stop.

Within minutes, the hideous pain was over, quashed by a pair of warm hands that came to his cheeks. "Hunter..." someone said softly, voice frantic and rushed. "Hunter... please, open your eyes. Daddy, hes bleeding badly! I dont know if he can even hear me! Daddy! Père!" The voice quieted down, a low mumble in his ear. "Its okay... Its okay. Hunter, Im right here. Its me, Archer. Youll be alright." The shaky voice quieted, and Hunter felt soft pecks, a pair of warm, damp lips trailing over the lines of his face. "I love you... I love you so much. Youre okay, bird. Its me... kitten." This time, Hunter didnt have to close his eyes to see blue.