His legs are tucked up against his chest and he’s shaking. His wrist is burning but his fingers are numb where Sebastian squeezed them so tightly that Blaine was afraid they’d drop off. A car drives past, flooding the room with light and the roar of its engine bringing them both back to reality. Sebastian finally turns, looking down at Blaine with an expression he’s used too many times before. Forgive me, it says. I didn’t mean it.

“Stand up,” Sebastian orders softly. Blaine does so, his legs trembling like jelly beneath him, and Sebastian stretches out his arms. Blaine wants nothing more than to run. Run far, far away, from Sebastian and this room and this life. He doesn’t want to feel Sebastian’s arms wrapped around him or listen to false words whispered so sweetly down his ear. But Blaine feels powerless to do anything else, so he reluctantly walks over, still cradling his arm to his chest like a broken baby bird, and sinks in to Sebastian’s embrace.

Blaine used to feel so safe in these strong arms. Now he just feels suffocated, trapped. Sebastian is kissing his hair, muttering words Blaine chooses to block out.

“Can I see?” Sebastian whispers.

Blaine shakily holds out his arm. A ring of bruises are already forming around his wrist. His fingers are still bright red and crumpled. Sebastian gently picks up Blaine’s hand, kissing and blowing against each knuckle. He does it all with such care that Blaine finds it hard to believe that just ten minutes ago Sebastian had just about almost broken his arm.

“I just got so mad,” Sebastian confesses. “I’m not myself when I’m mad. I don’t know my own strength.” He chuckles lightly, as if what he did was nothing, as if it didn’t hurt at all.

Blaine gives a small smile, and he feels sickened by himself. Why can’t he just be brave and walk away? Why does he always let Sebastian win? He never would have stood for this at the start. But now he’s in too deep. They’ve been together four long years, and although Blaine was starting to hate Sebastian he loves him too. He just can’t walk away from the person he loves.