Lost Little Boy (Kitten)

[Lorie]

Eight months. It had been eight months that the shadow of the once vibrant Dorian Gale had been with Kyle Houffe. Hair, once lustrous dark brown with golden undertones, seemed dull and unmanageable to eyes so light they were nearly white. It was probably dirty though. Showers in the morning were rushed as personal care took a backseat to tending to Kyle and hiding the bruises acquired thanks to the young brunette’s stupidity. According to his partner the once beautiful boy was always being stupid, it was why he needed to be punished so often, and Dorian was also so fucked up no one but Kyle would put up with his disgustingly long list of bizarre fetishes. Pulling a suit jacket over his diminished shoulders and stomach always hungry Dorian blended the make-up a little better so no one would notice he was trying to hide where Kyle had cracked him across the mouth the night before.

Walking carefully into the bedroom where his lover was sprawled all over the small bed they shared Dorian held out the pills and dixie cup of water for his hung over partner. “Kyle sweetheart, just swallow these.” the not yet twenty-one year old prompted, “It’ll help with the headaches baby.” he said softly running a hand that was little more than skin and bones at this point through sandy blond hair. A groggy growl preceded Kyle taking the pills as he leveled bloodshot eyes angrily at his bitch. Still the larger man didn’t vocalize his rage at being woken even for just a moment. With a sigh Dorian rose from his crouched position, “I’m going to work now.” he declared in the same quiet voice that had been used to wake his partner, “I’ll bring home dinner.” With that the underweight five foot nine brunette left the apartment he feared but still called home on the second floor.

[Kitten]

Nathan Howe hummed happily around his breakfast sandwich as he stepped into his dress shoes. His schedule had been moved since his promotion and he had something to look forward to every morning. The 6' 5" man sipped at his coffee before giving himself a grin in the mirror, brown eyes crinkling at the corners. The former Army ranger stepped back a little check the fit of his dress uniform, being a firefighter wasn't all running into burning buildings and as much as Nathan didn't like being stuck at his desk it did mean that he was in the elevator at the same time as a certain cutie from down the hall.

The man kept his hair and face trimmed just as it had been during his military days, brown hair cropped close to his head and neat. The uniform was well tailored over his big shoulders and arms, it looked clean and professional. Now he was just stalling, partially from nerves and partially because he had a decisions to make.

The brown eyed man didn't want to come on too strong, but the slender young man who had caught his eye eight months ago when he'd moved in was looking less slender and more gaunt as the days went by. Nathan grabbed the second breakfast sandwich, it was just a bagel with ham an egg and cheese on top. But it was good and warm. Wrapping the thing in a napkin the brunette headed out into the hall and towards the elevator. "Hold the door!" He called as it dinged open.

[Lorie]

Adjusting the thick black frame glasses over ghostly eyes Dorian heard a familiar voice that made his tired heart smile. Nathan lived just down the hall an though the man looked intimidating when Dorian and Kyle first moved in the slight brunette found the firefighter to be very nice. Most importantly he didn't ask to many questions about the make-up and bandages. Instead of hitting the button to keep the elevator door open a thin hand cupped over one side of the door.

There was a time when Dorian would have taken the stairs everyday but his body was just to exhausted as of late. If he ended up stuck in the small metal space with the hansom neatly kept man for a time...well, that was alright by Mr. Gale. "Morning." the smaller man greeted politely.

[Kitten]

"Hey kid," Nathan smiled easily as he slid into the elevator. "Thanks for getting the door." He wasn't sure if Dorian was actually young enough to warrant a 'kid' from him, but the other was just too adorable to keep the affectionate nickname to himself. "Rough morning?" He asked as he offered up the still warm breakfast sandwich. The light eyed young man seemingly had a lot of rough mornings, and days, from the way he looked whenever Nathan saw him.

The man's business card burned in his pocket. He'd had a lot of firm conversations with himself over the past month about flirting with his skinny little neighbor. It wasn't right to do so with a man who had a boyfriend, but the brunette sensed that the other needed something. Affection? Care? It was probably his own overeager desire to get close to the smaller man.

After a moment of telling himself all the reasons not to, Nathan offered his card up along with the food. "Just got these made. Elegant right?" He teased with a genial smile. "Anyway," his face flushed and brown eyes looked at the elevator buttons as though they held the secret to life. "I just thought, you know, we're neighbors so... If you need anything you should be able to call me. I'm usually at home after work." Was it warm in here or what?

[Lorie]

Pulling his messenger bag in close for lack of better way to keep his hands busy Dorian trained pale eyes to the ground but couldn't hide the sweet smile or warmth infusing porcelain cheeks. Nathan just seemed to have that effect on the smaller brunette. "A little to much drinking last night." Dorian explained leaving out who it was that had been doing said drinking. Since the small man wasn't yet twenty-one, wouldn't be for another few days, he didn't drink often. Once when Dorian first met Kyle but after that it lost any and all appeal.

Accepting the sandwich with a quiet, "thank you." Slender hand simply held the wrapped food while eyes that didn't work so well looked upon Nathan's new business card. The script looked very elegant and the card stalk was a night weight when that too was in Dorian's fragile hand. Another, "thank you." Passed the lithe brunette's lips before the elevator door opened on the ground level. Exiting the elevator caused a raise in Dorian's anxiety but he had to get to work. They could barely afford rent as it was with his minimum wage position. Dorian couldn't get fired, there were so few places that would hire a person with he sight problems he has. Casting one last look over slim shoulders over at the strong man who had become something of a friend in these trying months the slight boy took a deep breath and willed himself to go catch his bus.

On the way out of the building Dorian unwrapped the breakfast Nathan had given him taking a grateful bite out of the delicious food. Eating as he walked to the bus stop Dorian Gale allowed himself to imagine what being with someone like Nathan...or Nathan himself...might be like.

[Kitten]

Nathan spent more time than he cared to admit watching Dorian walk away, feeling the tension ease in his chest a little when he saw the other take a bite. The pale eyed young man had been sort of... well wilting lately. When the two had moved in the man had noted how cute he was, and it was still the truth, but something was off and the firefighter wanted to know what it was. It wasn't just the obvious weight loss, but something more.

Deciding that it wasn't his business, the big man got into his truck and headed to work. His job was much more administrative of late and that left Nathan with a lot of time to check and recheck his phone for new messages, it was a lot to hope for that Dorian might reach out to talk about what was bothering him lately, but a man could hope.

The brunette worked with a few of the men that he'd served with so the days, while more boring lately, always went by quickly. There were jokes and stories from days past to keep him from obsessing over the lovely young man, but Nathan's mind still went to him every few minutes. The big brunette was not in the habit of turning a blind eye to problems and some light ribbing from his buddies made him realize how preoccupied he'd been. By the time the muscular man was heading home from the gym he must have looked at his phone a hundred times.

[Lorie]

Work had been as it always was, long with bouts of both boredom and frustration. That was the nature of working in a department store. Anyone that came shopping on a weekday morning was either quietly looking for nothing or loudly demanding everything. This was the only place Dorian could say he actively hated. Every time he stepped into his place of work the small brunette felt physically ill. When five came with the shift change and Dorian was free of the store the slender man detoured to get the promised dinner then headed straight 'home'.

At he apartment door the boy with ghostly eyes was meet by his lover. "Good of you to finally get here." Kyle sneered sarcastically. "I brought dinner." Dorian offered holding up a fast food bag. Closing the door with a bang Kyle looked his bitch over satisfied when the little slut jumped in response to the loud noise. Then the cruelty began....

Naked and bleeding Dorian tried to scream around the hand almost in his mouth as the other around his throat. The red mark on Kyle's face from where the smaller man had slapped him trying to escaped the skinned ginger root being inserted into his anus against his will faded among the raise red of fury. With a last gasp slender Dorian brought a slender leg up between his assailant's thighs crushing Kyle's junk and freeing himself. Without any hesitation pale hands grab Dorian's messenger bag and glasses then the abused boy locked himself in the bedroom. It didn't take long for Kyle to get back up and start pounding on the door but Dorian took less time pulling a robe over his naked form, grab the cell phone, and crawl out onto he fire escape.

Dialing the number on the card held tight between two shaking fingers the slight brunette cried into the phone, "I'm sorry...I don't know who else to... He's going to kill me."

[Kitten]

Nathan had resolutely left his phone in the living room while he cooked dinner, if it was in his hand then the man would just spend more time looking to see if he'd gotten any texts. The timer dinged on the oven and he leaned down whistling a tune as he pulled the pot pie out of the oven. It was perfect for a chilly night like tonight, this fall was turning out to be fairly short and the nights had given way from crisp to cold early in the month. He had just put the food down on a mitt to cool when his phone rang.

Even as he looked at the unfamiliar number, secretly hoping it was his pale eyed neighbor, the brunette had a sense of foreboding. "This is Nat-" his somewhat formal greeting was cut off by the panic in Dorian's voice. Nathan took a single breath, his heart rate slowing way down as he listened to the fear in the others voice.

"I'm coming right now. It sounds like you're outside. I've got my coat on Dorian, it's going to be alright." His voice was calm, almost clipped, as he slung the coat over his arm and grabbed his gun from it's holster by the door. "I'm walking out my door. Where are you kid, I'll be right there. Don't hang up, stay with me on the phone." He opened his door and headed for the others apartment, unless the probably inappropriate amount of attention he'd been paying to the man was off, Dorian never went out on week nights. Or any nights really.

One big hand pounded on the door. "Are you at home sweetheart?" The nickname came to him unbidden, but he ignored it as he knocked again, praying that the pretty young man was close and not out in the cold night looking for help.

[Lorie]

Nathan's voice went a long way toward calming the frantic barely clothes youth shivering on the fire escape outside the bedroom window. The assurances that flowed from the firefighter soothed ravaged nerves making Dorian capable of answering when asked where he was. "On the fire escape, north side of the building." Small brunette said in an uneven voice as a hand growing numb first pushed heavy hair from sight that was already poor then tugged the flimsy bathrobe in tighter to skeletal body.

The banging on the door distracted Kyle long enough for the sadist to hear the endearment directed at that cheating bitch. And that was enough motivation for the sandy blond to finally kick the bedroom door in. "D'you hear that 'Sweetheart'? Bob the buttinskie is here for you." Kyle taunted looking around the room for the tiny brunette. "Wonder if he'd smile so nicely at you once he finds out what a fucking freak you are?" He continued snidely searching under the bed as Dorian had hidden there at least once before.

Outside Dorian finished climbing down the ladder hissing as feezing feet pressed against solide blacktop. The violent shivers took over then sending Dorian down into a crouch to save any body heat the boney boy might still have. "Not...not there...I'm in the alley between...between the apart.." Try as he might Dorian couldn't get the full explination out as biting cold permeated his slight frame.

[Kitten]

For a split second Nathan debated kicking the door in a dealing with the slime ball who was even now taunting the terrified young man stuck out in the howling wind. But Dorian's voice was shaking and he was out in the unforgiving night, so the decision was already made. Nothing was more important than getting to the pale eyed young man.

"You're doing great Dorian." The man said as he punched the button for the elevator. "Keep talking to me and stay where you are. Don't move, I'm in the lobby right now. I..." he cast about for something to say as his long legs ate up the distance to the door. "I am very proud of you Dorian. You're so brave, stay put sweetheart."

The large man came to the entrance of the alley, spotting the tiny figure huddled by the fire escape in just a thing bathrobe. He pulled off his warm coat as he crouched down. "Hey," his voice echoed from both phones so he put it away, offering the garment but not yet pulling the pale little body into his arms. He wasn't sure what had happened and the last thing Nathan would ever want to do was scare Dorian away.