"Where the fuck have you been?" James nearly screamed when Louis walked into the apartment. The sudden screaming nearly caused Louis to drop the food he was carrying, but luckily he was able to maintain his grip.

"I- I was out getting you your breakfast..." He started, his voice quiet and afraid.

"Did I give you permission to leave the fucking house? What the fuck do you think is going to happen if people see your cuts and bruises?" Louis couldn't help but flinch when James took the food from him.

"They would make me leave you..." He whimpered, his eyes filling with tears. 

"If you flinch one more time I'll give you a fucking reason to." He nearly growled, grabbing Louis' arm tightly. "Now get in the fucking kitchen and set my food up." Louis tried to stay quiet as James gripped his arm, the grip tight enough that Louis was positive he would have a bruise by the morning. He let out a small gasp as James pushed him into the table, his hands gripping the edge to keep himself from falling.

"With the way you're reacting, I should just break your leg. You can't seem to fucking walk anyways." Louis shook his head slowly, not wanting to face James without permission.

"Please don't." He sniffled, the tears he was holding back falling down his face too fast for him to stop.

"Are you fucking begging you pathetic piece of shit?" Louis flinched, letting out a small scream when James grabbed his hair and pulled his head back.

"What did I tell you about flinching?" He screamed, half dragging Louis over to the countertops. Louis tried removing James' hand from his hair, kicking his legs in an attempt to stop him.

"James please! Please don't hurt me!" He cried out, his heart racing to the point that Louis thought he was going to have a heart attack. James ignored his pleas and tossed his food onto the counter, not bothering to stop when it fell onto the floor and spilled. Louis continued to struggle against his grip, though he was no match for the stronger man. Louis' eyes widened as James forced him to bend over the counter next to the stove, standing behind him so he was unable to run or move away.

"I'm going to teach you not to flinch around me." He growled, turning the burner on and taking Louis' left arm in his hand.

"Please!" Louis cried out, trying to pull his arm away as James forced it over the fire. Seconds later their apartment was filled with Louis' screams of pain, lasting moments before James dropped him, letting him hit the floor.

"Flinch again, I fucking dare you." James threatened, standing over the smaller boy as he cradled his burned arm. Louis looked up at his boyfriend, his face full of tears. When James raised his hand, threatening to smack him, Louis remained still for the first time.

"I'm going into town to get food because you ruined my breakfast. I expect this kitchen to be fucking shining by the time I get back or else." Louis nodded shakily.

"Y-yes sir." He sniffled, keeping his eyes on James until the man left. When he heard the door shut he let out a loud sob and curled into himself. James was just having an off day, he wasn't normally this cruel. Louis convinced himself, standing up on his injured leg. Mary Anne was right, he needed to have it examined by someone who knew what they were doing. He knew James wasn't going to let him leave the house anytime soon, but he figured if he cleaned the entire house he might have a small chance at walking down the road. He set to it, not bothering to cover his burned arm. By the time James walked in the door an hour later Louis had cleaned everything in the house. He was putting the cleaning supplies away when he noticed James standing over him. 

"I didn't tell you to clean the entire house." He said, causing Louis' heart to drop. He had fucked up yet again, and that meant he had to be punished. With a small whimper he stood up and faced James, not flinching when he felt the palm of James' hand connect with his cheek. It wasn't as hard as he anticipated, but it still burned regardless. Louis carefully raised his hand up to the injured area, letting a few tears fall down his face.

"I want you downstairs and in the kitchen within half an hour. You need to be showered and properly groomed and dressed otherwise you will not be eating." Louis nodded shortly.

"Yes sir. Thank you." His voice cracked. He could have sworn he saw James' expression soften when his voice cracked, but he didn't want to comment and ruin the moment. When James moved, Louis made his way upstairs and undressed, not bothering to look in the mirror to see the damage that had been done. After his shower, he groomed himself to James' standards and then dressed himself, making it downstairs with five minutes to spare. Louis bit his lip softly as he walked into the kitchen, standing in the doorway so James could examine him and determine whether he had followed directions. 

"You actually did something right for the first time today." James laughed, causing Louis to blush. 

"I just needed you to correct me a few times, sir." James hummed softly. 

"I'm glad you're seeing it my way darling. Why don't you sit over here on the counter while I cook? I'll feed you once I'm done." Louis smiled warmly, this was the James he knew. The caring man who took care of him when he needed it. He carefully climbed up onto the counter and sat with his legs folded, appearing like a folded pretzel. James watched him before returning his attention back to the food he was making. 

"The house looks nice baby, you did a good job." Louis smiled still and looked down.

"You helped me with that sir," Louis responded. "A lot of work and conditioning." Louis said, running his fingers over the scars that covered his hand. James had smacked his hands quite a few times with their cleaning utensils to teach Louis the proper way to clean the apartment.

"I'm glad you know who helped you." He cooed, leaning over to press a small kiss to Louis' nose. Louis let out a small giggle, watching James put food on a plate for him. 

"It's still pretty hot, so you need to let it cool. Why don't you go into the cellar and get me a bottle of my favorite wine? It should be ready by the time you get back." Louis nodded obediently and climbed off of the counter, making his way down into the cellar. He soon returned with James' wine, presenting it to him with a small smile. James poured himself a glass and then set Louis' food on the table, along with his wine. Louis climbed into James' lap when he was seated, of course waiting for permission. James wrapped his right arm around Louis and proceeded to feed him with his left, pressing a small kiss to Louis' head as he ate. 

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