A/n: here it is..part four. the end...sad, I know. thanks to the small amount of reviews, i figured this story kinda sucked. but i love it still. hopefully you all will, too. xoxox

jonnix

PS: sequal? you tell me!!!

Part Four

He couldn’t open his left eye. He attempted to raise a hand; the try was futile and only left him confused and feeling numb. His head stormed with a thousand pounds of pressure consuming each follicle on his head.

The pain was nothing new to him, but the smell of warm chocolate was. He inhaled, feeling crusts of dried blood inside his nasal cavity shift and flake. He shivered in disgust.

Inside the ravaging head, he tried not to imagine what his reflection looked like; a swollen, purple, lashed eye collecting dried tears, large red welts and yellow bruises aching on every square inch of him, blood caked and smeared and dried on his body hair.

But the lingering aroma of hot chocolate soothed something in him.

A voice broke the silence. “Ah, kid, you’re up.”

The voice was warm, a tinge of carefulness in each syllable. It rang with a tune of a low melody. It almost dulled some of the pains.

“H-h-,” only a cracked guttural noise came in response, but Reed smiled in understanding.

“Shh, shh…,” He consoled, kneeling down beside Devin.

Opening his one spared eye, Devin saw something beautiful. Icy, chilled eyes looked warm like summer in the arctic. Blonde hair lay messy on his head, and a polite smile emanated calm.

“Reed,” Devin whispered, looking around the room. It was a small space; a one bedroom apartment with a tiny offshoot kitchen with a gas stove next to a miniature refrigerator. The walls were bare, save sporadic “The Vines” and “The Rolling Stones’ posters scattered crookedly on pale paint. Devin tried to shift his weight, hearing creaking from an old mattress, but a hand on his arm caused him to stop.

“Lay still. You’re pretty beaten up, kid. Your boy wasn’t really a good catch,” Reed said, taking from a saucer a small cup. Steam rose out of its rim. “It’s hot cocoa. It should sooth your sore throat and warm you up from all that exposure to the rain.”

Devin looked down at his own throbbing body. Not too many bruises lined his bare chest or arm, but a splitting pain was felt each time he inhaled. Lifting up the covers, he heaved in quickly.

He was naked…the guy he was fawning over saw him naked… in a state like this? Damnit…

“It’s okay, kid. I dried you off and laid you down. None of my clothes would’ve fit you, and it would have only made your pain worse. Don’t worry about…you should be proud of what you got,” he chuckled, giving a slight wink.

Devin cocked a scraped eyebrow, confused but excited, nonetheless. The pain was melting away by the minute. He smiled a crooked smile. “Thanks,” he managed.

Reed walked to the TV and turned it on, seating himself on the edge of the bed. Devin didn’t move, only taking small time to sip the warm chocolate and feel it coat his stomach.

None of them spoke a word for a few minutes, the sound of pattering rain dying down, the dim hum of the television show flashing blue on the screen.

Clearing his throat, Devin whispered, “Thank you…Reed.”

Reed turned to the boy, looking him square in his one good eye. “Anything for you, kid.”

“Reed,” Devin muttered, catching Reed’s attention again. “Nathan wasn’t ever a good boyfriend. This is a common occurrence…but you just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“No, the right place at the right time, Devin.” Reed replied.

The silence returned, but soon broke.

“Where’s Eva?” Devin asked, slightly jealous but an aching rising once again.

“Hell, I don’t know and I don’t care. Why do you?”

“I don’t, I was just…wondering. Reed, why me? Why the hell did you save me?”

“You were being hurt, kid, and I care. I didn’t want you hurt.”

“I…I…”

“Don’t say anything else, Devin. Just listen,” Reed hushed, rising to walk to the kitchen counter. Opening a wooden cabinet, he gripped a bottle and pulled it out swiftly.

In his hand was a beer bottle. Devin looked away, not wanting anything to do with alcohol, feeling tears throw back his pleasure, knowing this dream wasn’t real.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s empty, kid. And it’s not even mine…I just…just wanted to show you something.”

Walking briskly to Devin’s side, he pulled Devin’s hand from under the sheets and opened his palm. Devin watched on, entranced but slightly frightened.

Turning the opened bottle upside down, something small tumbled out from the glass container. It clinked on the curved sides till in fell softly into Devin’s torn palms.

It was a candy heart.

“I wanted you to see, kid, that there was something good at the bottom of this bottle.”

Reed leaned in and placed a warm kiss on Devin’s lips.

Looking down in amazement, Devin read what was written on the candy heart.

“I’m Yours”