Red and blue lights created by the ambulance and police lights, lit up the outside of the small houses in the neighborhood flickering rhythmically, slowly getting less intense because of the firsts rays of the rising sun.
Zak was sitting on the back of ambulance, legs dangling out of the vehicle, starting blankly at the ground while two paramedics were checking his wounds without actually medicating them.
In the meanwhile, beside the police car, Darryl was getting interrogated by one of the two officers, since the actual victim wasn't able to speak because of the huge shock he suffered from, in the meanwhile the other police man was inside the house.

"So, you hit him." repeated the policeman frowning while bringing his pen against his lips. "With a baseball bat."

"Yes, I had to," replied, fidgeting with the zipper of his jacket. "or he would've..." his voice faded away, refusing to conclude the sentence.

"Mh, understood. Well," the tall man sighed, looking at the ambulance where the paramedics just finished checking out Zak. "we have to bring you and Zak at the police station still, for obvious reasons like record the witnesses, get photos of his bruises, etcetera." explained, clicking close the pen he was holding.

Darryl nodded sadly, completely overwhelmed from the surreal situation.

What was going to happen?
Will Zak mental state get worse after that?
Will his little muffin move away sooner than planned?

For some unknown and strange reason, he just wanted to wrap Zak in his arms and feel the pleasant warmth of his body against his, and get cradled by his sweet scent that never failed to make him feel... safe. And loved. Hug him and never let go.
That's all he wanted to do.

"You can go to your friend, now." said the policeman, making Darryl snap back to reality. "We'll bring Mr. Carder directly at the police station and then get back picking Zak up. You can get some rest and come there in the late morning." concluded putting the small block he was writing on away in his pants' pocket, about to turn towards the car.

"Wait, can I come with Zak?" asked Darryl, not wanting to let the little boy alone.

"Uh," he looked back at him, frowning once again. "sure, you can."

"Thank you, officer." dismissed himself relieved, walking to Zak right after the policeman closed the car door.

The short boy was still staring at one undefined point towards him, still trying to process what happened.
Darryl's heart ached, the same desire he was feeling minutes earlier got stronger, pressing against his chest.

"Hey, little muffin..." greeted tilting his head towards Zak after sitting beside him. "Are you feeling a little better?" asked, carefully caressing his back.

Zak slowly shook his head, lowering his eyes down at the stains of dry blood on his clothes. He was still shaking, not only for the shock, but also for that unusual cold morning.
Worried for the short boy's condition, Darryl took off his jacket, wrapping Zak in it, hoping it would somehow comfort him.
He winced at every movement the older boy took, but surprisingly, he still leaned his head on Darryl's shoulder, getting wrapped by his arm in exchange.

"It's going to be okay..." the blonde boy reassured, pulling him closer and carefully laying his head on his. "I promise."

"I have no idea how to thank you..." whispered silently, wrapping himself better in Darryl's jacket.

"You don't have to, really..." said, giving him a small kiss on his head. "There's no way they won't arrest him now, everything his against him. I'm so relieved it's almost over, little muffin..." continued, passing his hand in his black messy hair.

"Mh..." Zak slightly smiled trough the immense pain and tears he was holding in. "It's almost over..."

'Then why this feels so fucking wrong..?'

"Zak..." the older boy hesitated. "Are you going to go away..?"

"Yeah... and... I really, really don't want to..." replied, sighing slightly.

"What is holding you here?" hesitantly asked the blond boy, without stopping to comfort him.

"It's more like... a 'who'..." he dared to state, still whispering.

"Oh... is it Vincent?" anxiously questioned back, scared of what his answer could be.

"No, dumbass." replied frowning, raising is voice into a hoarse murmur.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Can I ask who is it then?" forced himself to ask, lifting his head up and turning it in his direction.

Zak didn't have time to react at his question that winced badly after noticing out of the corner of his eye that the same policeman who was interrogating Darryl minutes before was approaching them, and abruptly lifted his head away from the blonde boy's shoulder.

That rough action, for some reason, made Darryl's heart ache.
But he didn't know Zak felt the double of the pain, especially after sensing the blonde boy's arm unwrapping from his body.

"Boys, it's time to go." warned the officer, without even noticing nor caring about what the two were doing before his arrival.

Darryl glanced at Zak before nodding and hopping off the vehicle, overthinking what happened seconds before.

'Gosh, I'm so stup-'

The short boy who got off the ambulance right after him, hesitantly grabbed the blonde boy's sleeve, cutting off his thoughts.
Caught off guard, Darryl glanced at him, who was staring at the floor and smiling slightly, he grabbed his hand, leading him to the police car.

×××

"Carder, come in." said a well dressed middle-aged man, after opening the black door while smiling reassuringly at the two boys who were sitting in a small empty waiting room, one beside the other.

Z

ak wounds got medicated after being photographed and documented right after their arrival at the police station, and both students waited about twenty minutes for that door to open.
The short boy, still slightly shaking, looked at the unknown man and got up from his seat, standing without moving. He felt about to throw up.

"Come on, there's nothing to be worried about." incited the man, signaling to come in with a nod.

Zak felt Darryl's hand lean on his back, gently pushing him with a caress towards the man who was waiting for him.
He looked back at the older boy, anxiously fidgeting with Darryl's jacket zipper he was still wearing, reciving another reassuring smile back.

"It's going to be okay, I'm not going anywhere, ok?" Darryl kindly said, smiling. "I'll be here for you."

He slightly nodded in reply, looking back at the unknown man and hesitantly walking into the room.
It was box, no windows or a natural light source, only white led lights hanging from the ceiling and a single table in the middle with three chairs one in front of the other.

"I'm Callahan, nice to meet you, Zak." the man intruduced himself, closing the door and walking towards him, holding out his hand. "I'm going to work on your case."

Shaking his hand silently, Zak felt suffocating in that small room.

"Sit well." said Callahan, sitting in the opposite side. "So, I'm going to ask you some really, really important and personal questions, okay?" started explaining once the short boy sat down, uncomfortably biting the inside of his lip. "If you don't feel conformable to answer at certain questions, tell me. But please, do not lie. This conversation will be registered."

Zak nodded once again, starting to taste the metallic flavor of blood inside his mouth.

"Okay, let's get started." he clicked one of the recorder's button, leaning back against his seat tidying up the sheets towards him. "Since when your father showed violent and aggressive behaviors?"

"I don't really exactly remember, but... he was violent with my mother since I was a kid." murmured the little boy, biting deeper inside his mouth.

"Okay, and when did he start to abuse you? With abuse, I mean both mental and physical abuse."

"He would... abuse me mentally since when I was little, and physically..." Zak's voice faded away, refusing to exit his mouth.

"This is a really important question Zak, we need an answer."

"Since my mother left. I was thirteen." murmured, while a knot formed in his throat.

"Alright. I still have to answer you about how he abused you in separate questions. Did he abused you mentally?" asked looking up at the questioner who nodded in reply. "You have to answer verbally for the recording, Zak." kindly reminded.

"Yes, he did." answered quietly.

"Did he abused you physically?" continued, sliding his eyes from him to the sheets on the table, still with a reassuring smile printed on his face.

"Yes..." he forced himself to reply.

"Did he abused you sexually?"

Zak went silent.
He felt like suffocating.
Overwhelmed with that situation.

"I'm sorry, I know I told you that if you would be uncomfortable you couldn't answer, but this is one of the most important question."

Bringing his hands covered by the sleeves on his face, he let his nostril fill up with Darryl's sweet scent hoping it would calm down a little, and closing his eyes, he answered in a broken sob.

Darryl's leg bounced up and down repeatedly, his anxiety increased as time passed. Waiting for that odious black door to open and not knowing what was happening on the other side was exhausting.

'It's been half an hour already... I hope he's okay...'

As soon he thought about it, the door opened revealing Callahan, who stood there without exiting the room, still smiling.
For some reason, that smile made him uneasy.

"Noveschosh, there's only your part missing, come in."

"Is Zak okay?" asked the blonde boy, getting up from his seat and approaching the man.

"Not sure how to answer, to be honest." Callahan murmured, gently pushing Darryl in.

Zak, as the older boy expected, wasn't looking good. His head was held down and his mouth covered by his sleeve.
He sat besides him and carefully grabbed his free hand from under the table, heedful the older man wouldn't notice.
The short boy tightened the grab, still looking in front of him.

"So, Darryl Noveschosh." Callahan started, right after clicking one of the recorder buttons. "What happened exactly after Zak's call?"

The questioner took a deep breath and softly squeezed the had he was holding, recounting what happened.

Ten minutes later, Callahan pressed the red button on the recorder, stopping the registration.

"Okay, we're done. Zak, you have to take your belongings from your house before the end of the week. Then you will be transferred to-"

"Wait, wait. Sorry for interrupting but... is there any chance Zak can stay? He could stay at the school dorms, maybe?" asked the blonde boy, hoping for a positive answer.

His hand got squeezed by Zak's one, he was looking up at Callahan, who got silent while thinking about the options, full of hope.
A hope never felt before.
A hope he needed.

'Please...' begged the black haired boy, sensing Darryl's thumb caressing his hand.

"Yeah, he could. But an approval from the principal is obligatory, of course."

Both boys turned their head towards each other simultaneously, smiling for the first time in that surreal day.

"Yes!" Darryl cheered, grabbing Zak's hand who was already holding with the other one, widening his smile.

The short boy looked relieved, and he genuinely was, but deep down, all he really wanted to feel the same happiness Darryl was feeling.

'God, I'm tired of this numbness...'

Still, holding Darryl's hand, or even just staying with him, somehow made him somehow feel something.
Something unknown, still unable to decipher.
If it was pleasant or not, was still a big question mark.

"Alright then, I'm going to talk with your principal today. Darryl, you could help Zak packing up his things in the meanwhile." Callahan proposed, smiling at the two.

"Sure thing!" exclaimed the blonde boy in reply, looking then back at Zak, who smiled slightly.

"Well, I got both your numbers, I'll keep you updated." said the man getting up, his movements followed first by Darryl and then from Zak. "You're presence is not needed during the process since we gor everything we need registered." continued, walking towards the door followed by the two. "Zak, I'm going to call you to talk about some more important things. But first, get some rest, both of you. Today take the day off school, maybe move already to Darryl's dorm until I'll talk with the principal, and that's it." concluded, opening the black door. "I called a taxi so you won't have to walk home, it's already paid."

"Thank you so much." Darryl grabbed his hand that was holding out, shaking it, and so did Zak.

"Have a nice day boys, it's all over now, no need to worry about it anymore." reassured, leaning against the door while watching the two walk away.

"Have a nice day too." greeted the blonde boy, walking away silently followed by Zak. "Is everything okay, little muffin?" asked after a pair of seconds.

"Yeah, it's just... surreal." murmured, following with his eyes the funny patterns of the floor.

"It is, but finally it's over."

Darryl felt Zak hand continously brush against his, and without really thinking about it, he grabbed it holding it, feeling him hesitantly squeezing it.

"Zak," quietly started the blonde boy, unsure. "I asked you who was holding you here, remember?" for some reason his body tensed. "You didn't answer and so I was thinking if... I could know who is it."

The black haired boy stopped getting in front of him, lifting his head up to look straight in his eyes. Darryl immediately noticed something new in his eyes. They weren't as dark and dull as before, but bright and... colorful instead.

He lost himself in them.

"It's you."

Thank you all so much for all the nice comments left in the last chapter, I really don't deserve all this love and support. I couldn't answer to them because they were way too many, just know I read them all and I literally cried. I have no idea what would i be without you, I love you all so fucking much.

Thank you again. For everything.

Have a nice night.

<3

[unedited, 2495 words.]