**NO REAL WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER**

Brendon took care in trying to wake Ryan, speaking softly to him so his loud voice wouldn't startle him in his shaken state. The younger male was slow to awaken, but when he did, his eyes met the chocolate color he'd allowed himself to get comfortable with. For a moment, he swore he was safe before he remembered everything and immediately shrunk away from the detective and began whimpering slightly.

"Please don't be scared of me, Angel," the older man choked out in a voice full of emotion. "It was never my intention to scare you or to harm you in any way."

Ryan didn't speak, just kept his narrowed eyes on Brendon as the tears flowed over with nothing trying to keep them at bay. Brendon sighed softly, walking over to the work table and pulling a chain with a key on it from a small wooden box. Ryan looked on wearily, watching as Brendon grabbed the plate of food and placed it on the metal table between his legs before taking the key and putting it to one of the locks on his wrist restraints. Upon noticing how he flinched, Brendon shushed the younger male and continued to unlock the restraints around his hands.

"You've got to eat, Ryan," Brendon reasoned in a soft voice as he walked to Ryan's left side and unlocked that restraint as well. "I doubt you'll let me feed you myself, so I'll let you do it. But - please - don't do anything that will cause me to have to restrain you again."

Ryan's brain didn't know what to make of this situation, but he figured that he might as well do all he can not to piss Brendon off because of the very real possibility that he could easily kill him in seconds. As the older man moved away from the table, Ryan sat up slowly, eyes coming into contact with the food in front of him and stomach immediately reacting to the sight and smell of the delicious looking food. He gently moved his hands up to wipe as his tear stained face before finding his voice and speaking to his captor. "M-May I have something to eat with?"

Brendon nodded softly, reaching over to his work table and picking up the small fork that he had brought down with him, handing it to Ryan slowly and carefully as to not startle him. The younger male fiddled with utensil for a moment before cutting into one of the eggs, seeing it was still properly edible. He then wasted no time in shoveling food into his mouth as if he hadn't eaten in days, almost making a mess of himself each time he put the fork in his mouth. He paused for a moment, allowing Brendon to cautiously hand him a glass of water he'd brought down with him as well.

After clearing the plate and finishing off the glass of water, Ryan had to catch his breath from how fast he'd eaten. He was so busy focusing on breathing that he just barely registered Brendon wrapping his fingers around his wrist and pulling him back down to restraints. "W-Wait, wait, B-Brendon please," he started to protest, causing Brendon to stop short.

"What is it, Angel?" Brendon's features were so full of genuine concern, that it almost melted Ryan's heart, but he shook away the feeling before gulping slightly, his fingers twitching against the metal table. "C-Could you, um," he stuttered softly, feeling his anxiety bubble up as he tried to find his voice once more, tearing his eyes away from the older male so he could speak properly. "W-When you picked me up, I had my cigarettes in my the pocket of my jeans. C-Could I have one, please? Th-They help me calm down."

Brendon mulled over Ryan's request for a moment. Cigarettes would only damage his boy's health even more, but if they helped keep him calm in stressful situations, then who was he to deny him of it? Eventually he nodded softly, finishing doing up the lock on the restraint to Ryan's right hand before walking over to the closet and pulling out the man's jeans and searching through the pockets to find a cigarette box and a flip-box of matches tucked in the back pocket. He tossed the jeans back into the closet, bringing the items over to his boy and stepping back, respectfully giving Ryan his space.

Ryan shakily pulled a cigarette from the box and a match from its flip, adjusting his body in order to strike the match with both hands before igniting the end of the nicotine stick between his teeth. As he inhaled and exhaled the smoke, he felt his body relax immensely and, even as his eyes opened and landed on Brendon, he felt calm for a moment.

Brendon watched as Ryan blew smoke past his lips, not realizing until this very moment just how attractive the action was. He'd always seen cigarettes as a nasty habit for absolutely anyone to have, but watching Ryan effortlessly and flawlessly take long pulls off of the stick and blow out intricate streams of smoke, he'd definitely decided he changed his mind.

Ryan finally got the end of the cigarette, holding it away from him as he took the last drag and looked at Brendon questioningly. "I'm going to assume you don't have any ash trays I can stub this out in?"

The older male shook his head softly before walking over the taking the burned filter from Ryan's fingers and brought it over to the sink, dropping it carelessly and running water over it to put it out. He turned back to Ryan and walked over to him slowly, taking the key into his hands again. "Feeling better?"

Ryan nodded his head timidly, shrinking away from the older man until his back was against the table once again. "Y-Yes, thank you." He watched sadly as Brendon took his left hand and placed it back into its restraint, tightening it around his wrist and locking it once more. Ryan felt his eyes pool with tears once more, his body tensing up as the older man began to run his fingers through his hair.

"My intentions are not to harm you, Angel," he spoke softly, his voice coming out smooth and relaxing, which scared Ryan more than he'd actually admit. "I'm going to take care of you. I promise."

Brendon then leaned down and pressed a kiss to Ryan's forehead, completely missing the way that the younger man shuddered and whimpered to himself as he walked back to the wooden stairs and out of the room, leaving Ryan on his own to - once more - sob uselessly into the expanse of this barren basement.

* * *

Later that day, Brendon was in his living room with a book in his hands and a cup of tea next to him when there was a rapid stream of knocks on his front door. He glanced toward the front hall before marking his place in his book and closing it, sauntering toward his front door with his glasses perched on the bride of his nose. As he undid the chains and turned the deadbolt to open the door, he was met with a tear stained and red faced Ashley, who was clutching onto her cellphone for dear life. Brendon's brows furrowed as he looked at the distraught girl, looking her up and down questioningly. "Ashley," he said in slight surprise, "what's going on?"

The doe eyed girl in front of him took in a shaky breath, eyes flooding with more tears as she pulled out her phone for the detective to see. "Th-This morning, when Ryan got off work," she started quietly, her voice coming out broken and raw, "I w-was supposed to pick him up but I fell asleep. He called me three times and then nothing after the last one, which was almost at four in the morning. I-I'm scared he may have tried to walk home, a-and I'm scared he may have gone missing. Please, Detective Urie, you h-have to help me find him."

Brendon took the girl's concern directly to heart. Seeing as he knew exactly where the younger male was, he wasn't too worried about it. Although, seeing as he couldn't exactly say he knows where he is, he allowed his eyes to gloss over with worry as he grabbed his car keys and handed them to her. "Go wait in my car, and we'll go to the station together."

Ashley nodded, more tears falling from her eyes as she jogged down the concrete steps and to his car. Brendon reached for his coat, turning the lock on the door before closing it behind him and heading over to his vehicle as well. He slid into the driver's seat and started off toward the police station to turn in Ashley's claims. Upon arriving, Chief Trohman gave the pair an odd look before Ashley told him what they had come for, then he immediately began filling out the paper work and sending the descriptions to Brendon's agency and every member of the police force.

After receiving all of the descriptions of the missing male, the detectives at the agency and the police force immediately began their search and their questioning of anyone who could have information on his whereabouts.

It was now a race against the clock of a sadistic killer, hoping they would find Ryan before it was too late.