This is a continuation of last chapter, so this is another content warning of domestic abuse.

chapter 19: marius's affection

~marius~

       I suddenly wake up because of some sound, but my mind hasn't exactly processed what the sound was. It doesn't even seem like there actually was a sound seeing as it's quiet in the house. 

       I rub my eyes, letting it adjust in the slight dark before I remember where I am and what happened last night. Fawn is fast asleep, thankfully. I was worried he would struggle falling asleep last night because he seemed so distraught. 

       Somehow in his sleep, he moved over enough to be completely cuddling with me; his head rests on my chest and one of his arms is slung over. I don't have the heart to push him away, especially when it probably took him a long time to go back to sleep.

       Since it's still quiet in the house, I figure I just woke up because it's close to the time I normally wake up. Without moving too much as to not wake up Fawn, I reach for my cell phone that's on the side table beside the couch. The light up screen slightly burns my eyes, causing me to still feel tired. I can see why. It's just after two in the morning.

       I rarely wake up in the middle of the night, so it's a bit odd for me to be awake right now. I shake it off and put my phone down, trying to go back to sleep. Then I hear what must have woken me up in the first place. A loud knock at the front door.

       That sound causes Fawn to stir a bit, but he stays asleep. I hesitate, wondering if I should get up and check to see who would be at the door at two in the morning. Part of me is worried that it's Quentin, but another part of me really hopes that it's just someone asking Fawn for help. Fawn does help out people constantly around the village. Maybe helping someone in the middle of the night is normal for him.

       Then the knock comes again, this time louder, as if someone is pounding on the door. That's what wakes up Fawn with a start. He sits up, so I do as well, and he looks towards the door. Another knock. "What if he's back?" Fawn asks in a quiet voice.

       Before I can even assure Fawn that it could be someone else, a knock happens yet again, louder than it has ever been. A voice follows, "Fawn! I know you're in there! You better open the fucking door!" Quentin slurs over his words, so there's no mistake that he's drunk.

       "It's okay," I tell Fawn in a soft voice so that Quentin wouldn't hear the two of us. If anything, he might leave if he realizes Fawn won't let him in this time.

       Quentin doesn't seem to want to give up any time soon because he just continues knocking on the door. "Open up, Fawn! You better not be with that man, you fucking whore! Open the door before I knock it down!"

       I don't know if Quentin would actually be stupid enough to break the door, but I wouldn't put it past him seeing as he seems very intoxicated right now. I'm about to get off of the pullout couch, but Fawn quickly grabs my arm. "N-No, don't open it."

       "I'm not going to open it," I assure. "I'm just going to see what he's up to."

       I get up and quietly walk over to the front door. I look through the peephole, seeing Quentin pace in front of the door. He has an almost empty bottle in his hand and soon enough, chugs the rest of the liquid. He has stopped knocking on the door, so I hope it's a sign he's going to leave.

       It's not.

       He groans before saying, "Just let me in, Fawn! I want to talk to you!" 

       I'm about to tell him through the door to leave, but I know that him just hearing my voice will probably anger him more. I don't want to stress Fawn out anymore.

       Quentin's anger does grow more without me even having to do anything. He chucks the glass bottle at the door, causing it to shatter onto the ground. He pounds on the door. "Fawn! Open up, you fucking bitch!"

       He really isn't going to leave anytime soon, so I walk back to the bed and grab my phone. "I'll call the police, okay?"

       Before I can even dial the three numbers, Fawn says, "There's no point."

      "Fawn, he's harassing you."

       "But he's going to get away with it. He always gets away with it."

       I sit back down on the bed. "Have you ever reported him to the police before?"

       Fawn shakes his head. "No, but he has done stuff, like drunk driving, and he's never charged. He knows people and they always get him out of it. He should have a record, but it's spotless."

       I hate people like that; people who use their status to get out of stuff they should be punished for. It's an unfair system, especially to those who are charged for minor inconveniences and will never get the opportunities other people have.

       "Does he know anyone in Port Orthos that will get him out of it right away?"

       "No. It's just people in the city, but they will come down here as soon as they hear about it."

       "Okay. Then calling the police will at least get him arrested for a bit and keep him away from here for a while, even if he's not charged for it in the end. Would you like me to call the police?"

       Fawn hesitates, but Quentin once again pounds on the door, demanding Fawn to answer. That's all it takes for Fawn to nod his head. I call the cops and quickly explain the situation. 

       In the time it takes for the police to show up, Quentin still hasn't left and continued to bang on the door, yelling obscenities at Fawn and demanded to be let in. When the police pulls up, I can hear Quentin yelling even more, calling Fawn an asshole for calling the cops. His voice grows more distant, so it's likely he's being pulled away. A cop car then drives off.

       There's a knock on the front door, followed by someone saying, "Fawn, it's Officer Sharpe. Can you open the door? The man is gone, so you don't have to worry about him."

       Fawn gets up from the bed and walks over to the door. I noticed that he's shaking a bit, but I don't blame him. This whole thing must be traumatizing for him after everything Quentin has put him through.

       Fawn opens the door and lets Officer Sharpe inside. She gives him a gentle smile before she says, "I just have to ask you some questions, if that's okay?"

       Fawn nods, so Officer Sharpe asks questions to get a better sense of what happened, like who Quentin is in relation to Fawn, has this happened before, and even if the fresh bruise around Fawn's eye is a result of Quentin; the latter of which led Fawn to tell her what happened beforehand.

       After Fawn answers all the questions, Officer Sharpe tells Fawn to try to get some sleep before she leaves. Fawn walks back over to the bed and lies down with a heavy sigh. He looks absolutely exhausted, and it hurts me so much to see him like this. "I'm so sorry, Fawn," I say.

       Fawn doesn't reply. He just scoots closer to me, hugging me tightly. I hug him back, not wanting to let go until he does. Though it soon becomes clear that he's not going to let go anytime soon considering he falls asleep in this position. He must have been so drained to fall asleep so fast.

       I carefully move so I can lie back down on the bed, not wanting to wake up Fawn. Once I'm in a comfortable position, I close my eyes to try to fall back asleep. It takes some time, but I'm soon able to.

       Unfortunately, an alarm wakes me up. It takes me a few moments to realize that it's my alarm. I grab my phone to turn off my alarm, only to remember that it was to wake me up for school. "Shit," I mutter.

       The alarm must have waken Fawn up, because he asks in a groggy voice, "Is everything okay?"

       "Yeah," I say. "I just have school today." I ponder if I should actually go or if I should miss today's classes because I really don't want to leave Fawn right now. Missing one day never hurts, especially since I have the contact information of at least one person in each class. "I can always ask someone to send me today's notes."

       Fawn sits up. "Why would you skip? I thought it's important to you."

       I sit up as well. "It is, but I don't want to leave you alone right now."

       Fawn gives me a soft smile. "Thank you, but I think I'll be okay now. I don't want you to miss school because of me."

       "Are you sure?" I ask. "Because I really can just get today's notes and still be caught up."

       "I'm sure," Fawn says. "I can always head to my aunt and uncle's if it gets too much for me."

       "Okay," I say, still wanting to stay here, but I don't want to force Fawn to be okay with it if he's now ready to be on his own. The only thing that matters is his comfort and his feelings. If he's comfortable being home alone now, who am I to say otherwise.

       I get off the bed and head to the door. Fawn gets up as well and follows me. Before I can leave, he gives me a hug. "Thank you for being here last night."

       "Of course," I say. "Just text me if you need anything, even if I'm in class."

       Fawn nods, then pulls away so I can leave. Seeing as staying at Fawn's house last night as a spur in the moment kind of thing, I don't have everything I need to head off to school. I go home first, taking a quick shower and getting changed before heading to the city for class.

       I wished today was one of days where I only have one class, but it's not. I have two, so I'm going to be on campus for about six hours. I just hope Fawn texts me if he needs anything, even if he just wants to talk to me.

       I sit in my normal spot when I get to my first class, and I feel as if everyone's looking at me. I shake it off, but it's not until Huxley walks over and says, "Shit, man, what happened to your face?" that I remember I have a lot of bruises and a few cuts because of the fight.

       "Oh, it's nothing," I say.

       "Nothing my ass." Huxley sits down beside me. "Did you get into a fight or something?"

       "Or something."

       Huxley huffs. "Fine, don't tell me. Are you okay, though?"

       I nod. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

       "If you say so."

       Huxley isn't the only one that proves to be worried about my injuries. Despite not talking to each other since our breakup, Melinda walks over to me. "Marius, are you okay? What happened?"

       I'm not going to go into detail since it involves Fawn's life, so I just say, "Self-defence. I'm okay."

       "Are you sure?" Melinda asks. "It looks painful."

       "It's not," I assure. "I'm fine. Really."

       "Okay," Melinda says, but there's a bit of doubt in her voice. She walks back to where she normally sits with her friend.

       When class starts, I find myself constantly checking my phone to see if Fawn has messaged me. I want to make sure I can reply to him as soon as I can. He doesn't text me at all, though, so I assume he's fine. He's probably with his aunt and uncle right now, anyway.

       My second class of the day goes the same as the first; me constantly checking my phone to see if Fawn texts only to see he hasn't. It's a good thing I can multitask, though, otherwise it would have been like I didn't come to class at all. I'm still able to fully pay attention, or at least as much as attention as I normally do.

       By the time class ends, it has start raining quite a bit. I drive home, hoping the rain clears up a bit, but it doesn't. It's just as heavy by the time I get back to Port Orthos. 

       It's close to when I normally eat dinner, but I don't know if I want to make anything. I'd like to think I've become a better cook ever since Fawn started teaching me, but I'd much rather just go to the cafe to eat today. Besides, if Fawn is there with his aunt and uncle, I can check up on him.

       Since it's easier to walk in Port Orthos than it is to drive, I grab an umbrella to walk in the rain. I'm glad the cafe isn't that far from my house so I'm not in the rain for too long.

       I get to the cafe, closing my umbrella and shaking off as much rain as I can before walking inside. It's nearly empty, the only people being inside is all of Fawn's friends. Ellie is the first to notice me, and I notice she looks worried. Actually, they all look worried. "Marius, please tell me you've seen or heard from Fawn today," Ellie says.

       "Not since I left his house this morning," I say. "Why?"

       "No one has seen him or heard from him," Brent says. "He has a lot of jobs lined up today, but he didn't even come to any of them. He only does that when he's very sick, but he always calls everyone to let them know. He didn't let anyone know."

       I thought that maybe, Fawn was just staying at his aunt and uncle's home, which I believe is on top of the cafe, and just had his cell phone turned off, but even Cecelia and Winston look worried from where they are behind the counter.

       I walk over to the counter. "Did anyone check his house?" 

       Cecelia nods. "Winston and I have a spare key, so we used it when he wouldn't answer. He's not in there." She wipes a tear away. "We're very worried about him. This isn't like him."

       "So..." I lower my voice so only Cecelia and Winston could hear. "Fawn didn't tell you what happened last night?"

       My question only makes Cecelia and Winston look more worried. "Why?" Winston asks. "What happened?"

       I hesitate, not knowing if I should tell them since it's not my story. Besides, even if I talk quietly, any one of Fawn's friends might overhear, and I don't want to tell anyone if Fawn doesn't want them to know. "It's, uh... Fawn should probably tell you."

       "But that's the thing," Cecelia says. "No one knows where he is and no one can get a hold of him."

       I take my cell phone out of my pocket and dial Fawn's number. "Marius, she just told you no one can get a hold of Fawn," Ellie says. "He's not answering his phone."

       After two rings, there's an answer. "Hello?"

       I'm a bit relieved Fawn at least answered my call, but I'm worried about him not being home or answering anybody's calls. "Where are you?"

       "I'm at home," he says. I don't know if it's a lie or if he came home from wherever he was after Cecelia and Winston checks.

       I walk to a corner of the cafe where no one can hear the conversation. "Fawn, I'm at the cafe right now. Your friends are here, very worried about you. Your aunt and uncle too. I thought you said you would go to your aunt and uncle if it gets too much for you."

       "I... I didn't want to burden them," Fawn says softly, though I almost didn't hear him because of the rain pouring.

       The rain.

       "Are you outside?"

       Fawn hesitates. "No."

       "Fawn, you can catch a cold."

       "That's actually a common myth. Viruses function easier during cold weather, so it's easier to spread. It's not the rain itself."

       "Fawn."

       Fawn takes a deep breath as if he's trying to steady his voice as to not sound shaky. "I'm okay. I don't want to be a burden to you."

       "Hey, you are not a burden to me, or to your aunt and uncle. Can you please tell me where you are so I can come get you?"

       Fawn no longer keeps up his 'I'm okay' guise. He says, "I'm by the lighthouse," in a quiet, shaky voice, like he's on the verge of tears.

       "I'll be there soon, okay?"

       "Okay."

       I hung up the call and walk back to the counter. "I'm going to go get Fawn."

       "So he's okay?" Cecelia asks.

       "He's..." I don't want to lie and say he's okay when he isn't, but I also don't want to give everything away. In the end, I just decide to say, "He's fine," because he is physically. He's just not okay mentally.

       I leave the cafe, opening my umbrella and hurrying to where the lighthouse is on a long strip of land. I guess Fawn came here because it was somewhere no one would look for him. I just wish he texted me to tell me he wasn't doing okay, but he couldn't help it if he felt like he was a burden.

       I just hope I can show him that he is anything but a burden.

       Fawn is sitting behind the lighthouse, his knees pulled up to his chest. He doesn't even realize that I walked over to him until I crouch in front of him, putting the umbrella over his head to prevent him from getting even more soaked in the rain.

       Fawn looks at me, tears staining his eyes. He wraps his arms tightly around me. "They weren't able to charge him. I knew they wouldn't, but I hoped they would at least in Port Orthos."

       I sigh, once again hating that Quentin has enough power that he could get away with abusing and harassing his ex-husband. And I hate that there's nothing I can do about it. The only thing I can do is be here for Fawn.

       "Come on, we should get you out of the rain," I say softly.

      I help Fawn stand up and walk him back to his house. The umbrella isn't big enough for the two of us, so I mainly use it to shield Fawn from the rain. The moment we get there, Fawn says, "Can you... Can you stay here for a few days? Just until I'm able to be on my own again?"

       "Yeah, of course," I say. "Just let me quickly go to my house to pick up a few things."

       I'm about to leave so I can get it done as soon as I can, but Fawn grabs my hand to stop me. "No, please don't leave me."

       "I won't be long," I say. "Maybe twenty minutes max."

       "I don't want to be here alone."

       Fawn is already soaked in the rain and looks exhausted, so I don't want to bring him to my house with me. I come up with a different solution, though. "How about I call your aunt and uncle? They can stay here while I go get some stuff and you can tell them what happened? I think they should know."

       "O-Okay."

       "Okay, I'll give them a call. You should go put some dry clothes on. Maybe take a warm bath?"

       Fawn nods and goes to his bedroom to grab a change of clothes before going to the bathroom. I take my phone out of my pocket and call Cecelia, who answers almost immediately. "Marius, did you find Fawn? Is he okay?"

       "I did," I say. "We're at his house now. Can you and Winston come here? I'm going to be staying here for a few days and need to go to my house to grab some stuff, but Fawn doesn't want to be alone."

       "Yes, of course," Cecelia says. "We will be there as soon as we can. Thank you for finding him."

       "Would you also be able to bring something warm for him to eat?" I ask.

       "Absolutely," Cecelia says.

       When the call ends, I decide to check up on Kiwi. I don't know when Fawn left his house but if he has been out all day, it's likely that Kiwi hasn't been fed yet. Her food bowl is empty, so I look around the house for the bird feed. I find it, hoping that Kiwi would be okay with me feeding her.

       I open the cage and she immediately backs up into the corner. "It's okay," I say softly before pouring the food into her bowl. I close the cage and back away so Kiwi feels comfortable enough to eat without me standing near her.

       Cecelia and Winston soon show up, carrying a bag of food. "We brought some food for you too," Cecelia says. "I assume that's why you came to the cafe earlier."

       "Right, that is why I was there," I say. "I completely forgot to get food." Once Cecelia and Winston are in the house, I close the door behind them. "He's just in the bath right now. He should be out soon."

       "Sorry to ask again, but we still haven't gotten a straight answer," Winston says. "Is Fawn okay?"

       "I'll let him tell you," I say. "Believe me, I want you to know, but he should be the one to tell you. I think he will once he gets out of the bath." I walk over to the bathroom and knock on the door. "Fawn? Your aunt and uncle are here. I'm going to head out to get my stuff, but I promise I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

       "Okay," Fawn says.

       I walk back to the front door and put my shoes on, grabbing my umbrella. Before I leave, Cecelia says, "Thank you for taking care of him."

       I smile at her. "Anything for Fawn." I leave Fawn's house and hurry to mine, not wanting to take too much time even though Fawn's aunt and uncle are with him now.

       When I get to my house, I grab a duffel bag from my closet and put a bunch of clothes in there, followed by hygiene necessities. My school notebooks and textbooks that aren't already in my school bag are also put in there. I grab my school bag since it already has everything else I'll need for staying at Fawn's house.

       By the time I get back to Fawn's house, he's out of the bath, sitting on the pullout bed with Cecelia and Winston. Fawn must have told them everything that happened last night because Cecelia immediately gets up when she sees me. She walks over and hugs me as she says, "Oh, Marius, thank you so much for protecting Fawn last night." She pulls away and examines my injuries. "So these are from Quentin."

       "Yeah, they are," I say. 

       "I can't believe him," Cecelia asks. "I thought all of this would have been over after the divorce."

       "I thought so too," Fawn says in a quiet voice.

       "It will be over eventually," Winston says. "One day, Quentin's actions will bite him in the derriere or he will realize that he should give up. I promise you that."

       "You shouldn't promise things you can't guarantee," Fawn says.

       "Okay, but I can promise you than we will all make sure he doesn't go anywhere near you," Winston says. "And please, don't feel like you're a burden to me and your aunt. We will do anything to help you."

       Fawn smiles weakly. "I know now. Thank you."

       Cecelia and Winston stay for a bit longer before leaving, telling Fawn and even me to call them for anything. Once I change into dry clothes myself, I sit down beside Fawn on the pullout bed. "Are you wanting to sleep on here again?"

       "If that's okay," Fawn says.

       "Anything's okay as long as you're comfortable," I say. "You know, I really would have stayed home today if you didn't feel like you could have been home alone."

       "I thought I would have been okay," Fawn says. "I really did. But then... Officer Sharpe called and let me know that they couldn't charge Quentin with anything. She tried, though. She really did, but..."

       "The people Quentin know hold power over her?"

       Fawn nods. "So in the end, there was nothing she could do. And it just reminded me of everything Quentin has done and gotten away with, and it made me scared he was going to come back. And I know I'm not now, but I really did feel like Aunt Cecelia and Uncle Winston would have thought I was a burden, especially after they've done so much for me."

       I hold onto both of Fawn's hands. "You can always call or text me if you need anything. I promise, I'll never thing of you as a burden. It doesn't matter if I'm at school or sleeping or anything else. As long as you have someone you could turn to."

       "Why are you being so kind to me?" Fawn asks.

       Long answer? I'm probably, at this point, head over heels for Fawn. I can't tell him that, though, especially when Fawn is going through so much again with his ex-husband. So I tell him the answer that wouldn't throw feelings into the mix. "Because I consider you my best friend. Even if I didn't, you have done so much for me, and everyone here in Port Orthos. You deserve to have someone here for you."

       Fawn hugs me once again, but I can never get tired of his hugs. "Thank you, Marius."

________________

this chapter was even longer than the last one.

i love fawn and marius so much <3 i'm glad i decided to start this story after having it in my mind for a long time. 

oh also, fun fact: i almost gave quentin the same name as a character from charged by battery. and i'm not talking about the first name. i'm talking first AND last. at first, quentin was going to be named sterling and i was trying to think of a last name for him. i then thought of o'moore and was like "sterling o'moore sounds like a good name". then i was like wait why does that sound familiar OMG ISN'T THAT A CHARACTER IN MY OWN BOOK. so yeah i had to change his name lmao.

another fun fact (idk if i said this yet): weisz's name from my book reno and weisz was almost marius. then i thought weisz sounded better for him. i'm glad i decided on weisz, because marius suits this marius better.

OH also i'm not sure if you noticed, but i changed the cover (once again lol). i'm struggling a lot with the covers for this book, but i think this one works!