He took one look at Devin, and knew he'd been crying.

Devin wanted to turn around, and disappear. This was almost more embarrassing than if it were Michael at the door.

Clement hesitated in taking his hand off of the door knob, and running to Devin.

Clement hesitated, but eventually wrapped his arms around Devin. Devin really didn't hesitate in hugging back, and was just about ready to take any sort of human—platonic, unless it was from Michael—contact. Clement didn't pry with any questions, and just let Devin cry.

Clement wasn't really one for comfort, but he knew that Devin needed someone right now.

He could go get his brother, but he didn't want to leave Devin out here like this.

While still in the hug, he slipped his phone into his hand, typing a simple word (Porch). But before he pressed the send button, Devin shot up out of his arms.

"No no no no, please, please don't tell Michael to come out here. He can't-" Devin choked on his spit, taking a sharp inhale of breath as his body fell back into the younger boy's embrace. "He can't see me like this! He'll leave me, okay?"

"Devin, please, Michael physically can't go one dinner without bringing you up. One day without seeing you, and now, more than ever, he's so attached to you! You may not see it, but the love that is in his eyes. It's clear, really clear.

"And I heard him talking to my mom," Clement said, thinking about continuing that sentence, or not. But before he could decide, the front door was opened, rather roughly.

It startled both boys, and Michael stood there, stunned to see his brother and boyfriend hugging. His boyfriend cried into his brother's arms, while he sat oblivious in the house.

"Wha—"

"Go away, just for a couple of minutes, please?"Clement said, holding Devin tighter as Devin did the same. Devin hid his face, and muffled his crying the best he could.

"What the... no! I- let me see him," Michael said, taking a step onto the porch.

Devin squeezed Clement even tighter, telling him he wanted Michael to go away. He didn't want Michael to see him like this, as he made clear.

"No, Michael. I said go away!" Clement said he turned his head to meet his brothers face. "Michael, you can come back out in a little while, but not right now, alright?"

"But he's my boyfriend, not yours. I want to make sure he's okay. So go back in the house now." Michael said, kneeling down next to the two boys.

"But, he said—"

"No, no, it's okay, Clement. Just... go inside, I'll talk to you later," Devin said, losing his grip around Clement's middle.

"Are you sure..." He said, avoiding eye contact with Michael. "You said—"

"Yes, I'm sure." He said, making eye contact with Clement, pleading him to not bring up what he had said. He was hoping that Michael wasn't paying attention to what his younger brother said.

But he had.

"What? What did you say, Devin?" Michael asked, closing his previously opened arms. His face was distraught, and worried. His whole body felt weak.
Michael was silently panicking. What did he say that made Clement want him to go away? Was it something bad? Did I do something wrong?

"Nothing, it's not important," he said, moving backwards, hitting his back against the frame of the door. He placed his head in his hands, digging his fingers through his hair. He didn't want Michael to see his face.

"Devin?" Michael's tone was so serious. He wanted to snap at him, but knew that now wasn't the time. It would just separate the two further, and he didn't want that.

Devin looked at him, before pulling him closer, wrapping his arms around his neck. He just cried, which only damped Michael's shirt and avoided the issue.

Michael held him back, closing his eyes slightly.

He heard Clement get up, and open the front door. He let out a heavy sigh before stepping into the warm house. He shut the door behind him quietly. Clement was so worried, this wasn't good.

Michael held Devin, although wanting to pry with questions, he didn't.

Devin clung to him, sitting in his lap. He spit out a long string of 'I'm sorry', although he barely knew what he was apologizing for.

Existing, maybe?

But Michael pulled away from the hug, looking him square in the eyes.

"What? Why? Who were you on the phone with? Why're you crying? Why didn't you come to me? You know that you can come to me, and don't have to hide. Alright? I get that you and my brother are close, but you... I want you to come to me." He looked down at the wooden boards of the porch.

"I- I was on the phone with Fischer," Devin started, bowing his head.

"The setter from Karasuno?" Michael asked, a bit surprised to hear who Devin was talking to.

"Yeah... we've been talking for a while. Wait! Not like that kind of talking! Just friends!" Devin said, waving his hands in a signification of no.

"Hey, hey, calm down, I wasn't worried. Okay?"
Michael said. Holding Devin close again.

Devin took a shuddered breath in, and an even shakier one out. He closed his eyes, and felt exhausted. All the crying he'd been doing, taking a toll on him.

"Wanna go inside, up to my room?" Michael asked, looking Devin in the eyes.

"Sure..."

Michael grabbed Devin, and picked him up under either of his legs. Michael hated how much lighter Devin had gotten. It was obvious that he wasn't eating properly, and Michael had to fix that.
He walked Devin up to his room, and placed him on the bed softly.

He wrapped the two of them into the blankets, and was satisfied when Devin's quick breathing became soft snores.

***

Across the way, Klaus sat on his boyfriend, Adrian's, bed, panicking a bit.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here," Adrian said, holding Klaus close to his chest. Klaus made a low humming noise.
"I know, I just worry... cause I wasn't too far from where he is right now, a couple of months ago," Klaus said quietly, remembering the dark times.

Adrian could only hum in response, remembering when he had to drag Klaus off of the top of the roof. It was still a sensitive topic for the two of them (and probably always was gonna be sensitive for the two to talk about, to anybody), and Adrian was sworn to secrecy of the reason Klaus was gonna do it.

Klaus had been abducted, and assaulted by his own uncle. His uncle was in jail now, much to both Adrian and Klaus's relief.

Klaus had moved into Adrian's apartment not even a week after the incident, and Adrian and him went to the police. His uncle was found guilty, and sentenced to years in prison for sexually abusing a minor.
Klaus wasn't the first victim of his uncle, which pissed Adrian off even more.

But Klaus hadn't told anybody about what was going on, and the interaction had gone on for a little longer than a year.

That was why he wouldn't let Adrian touch him in the ways his uncle did. And Adrian respected that, but in the beginning, before he knew why, didn't understand.

It wasn't until Adrian caught Klaus with a large hickey where his Adam's apple was...

the ending part was a set up for the next one, which will be a flashback, possibly triggering for others. not necessary to read so if you're uncomfortable with an almost suicide attempt —not quite sure why you'd still be reading this but a CW feels good to have— then don't read it. continue on without reading it or, stop reading the story all together, cause this certainly isn't the only time suicide attempts will be mentioned or talked about.

i hope you're all doing well,

with love,

—aa