AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS CHAPTER IS SAD, DARK, AND NECESSARY TO THE PLOT OR I WOULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN IT. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT, DON'T. THERE WILL BE A SUMMARY OF THE EVENTS LATER! Thanks and enjoy.... OH! And the next chapter is gonna be scary like this too. And that's also why this chapter took so long, I was procrastinating writing this thing cause it kinda scares me. Anyway.... -Dakota

A massive crack rattled the walls of the house, sending tremors through the ceiling and up to the second story.

Nico had long ago locked his door against Paul, even though he knew it would do him no good against the fuming man. As he felt the floorboards tremble beneath him, Nico shrank against the far wall, distancing himself from the door as much as he could. He drew his knees to his chest, looking longingly up at the sills of the windows.

Paul had them blocked up years ago after Nico attempted to run away through the windows. Now they were made of bulletproof glass, impossible to open or break. He was a prisoner here, stuck waiting for Paul to come 'cool down' as he always did.

His heart dropped like a stone as he didn't hear any voices from the first floor, nor did he hear the door open to admit another person. Something had gone wrong for Paul; Percy wasn't here. Which would make Paul even more angry than usual, and would also serve to make Nico his only target.

Of course, he should've been able to just not go, he was a legal adult, after all. He laughed, though it was empty and humorless, shaking his head. It echoed off the walls, sounding harsh even to his own ears. If only Paul was that senseless and didn't know Nico would try to use that as an excuse not to go.

And yet he'd still tried. Stupid, stupid him had tried. And look where it had gotten him? Every awful image seared into his brain, left to know it was his fault entirely that things had turned out the way they did.

Nico had been putting off the thought of Paul as long as he could, deciding he was a free adult now. Who was Paul to make him do anything? He may have been a parent, but he wasn't an authority to Nico. He was a monster of his past, one that couldn't reach him here, in the arms of Will Solace.

He snuggled into Will, leaning his head against the taller boy's chest, looking up to meet his lover's vibrant blue ones.

"Hi." Will smiled tilting his head.

Nico fake glared at Will and turned his head to the ceiling. "Shut up."

"You tell me that a lot," Will frowned, poking Nico's cheek, and receiving one of Nico's signature scowls in return.

"Maybe you should listen." Was his sour reply.

"And what if I don't want to, hmm?" Taunted Will.

"Then you'll pay." Nico grumbled.

Will grinned, tightening his grip around Nico, "What if I make you pay for being mean to me?"

Nico squirmed in the hold, flipping onto his stomach and pushing against Will's chest, to no avail. "No fair," He whined, "I wasn't even that mean yet!"

"Oh, really? Well maybe I better turn those naughty thoughts into this..." With that, Will leaned down, and then he kissed him. It was magic, the way his lips connected with his. It was right, and somehow, among all of the dizziness and the clinging to him like a life line, something inside him practically screamed right.

It was possibly one of the best moments of Nico's life, that is, until a knock shattered the peace of the apartment.

Nico pulled away first, his face heated from the connection, and looked towards the door.

"Expecting someone, Piccolo Re?"  Will inquired, following Nico's line of sight to the door. Nico sighed, knowing exactly who it was.

"Don't answer it. Just pretend we're not home," Nico pleaded, his dark eyes wide.

Will just shrugged, "If you want."

He'd learned long ago not to question Nico or his past, something Nico was ineffably grateful for. He nodded, wrapping his fingers into the spaces between Will's. "I do."

Will didn't reply verbally, simply just squeezing Nico's hand.

As Nico prayed to every god he knew that the man outside wouldn't come in. But, with his damned luck, that would be impossible. The door rattled on its hinges as the man yelled, "Nico! It's time to go, you little shit! Don't you dare hide from me!"

Nico buried his head further against Will, squeezing his eyes shut. He guessed that Will knew by now who it was. Nico had shown Will his scars once, told him about his childhood. His childhood that was so plagued by evil and pain.

The sound of splintering wood forced Nico  to open his eyes, to find the very source of his pain standing in the remnants of their doorway, his fist bloody and filled with shards of wood.

Will, despite Nico yelling for him to stop, jolted up, shoving Nico against the couch and standing up. "Get the hell out of here!"

Paul laughed, a cruel, evil laugh, and stepped forward. Nico sprang up, only for Will to throw him back again. "I'll handle this one Nico. I'll make sure he doesn't come back." He smiled at Nico, a genuine, full grin, sparkling eyes, and laid back shoulders. The smile Nico fell in love with.

"Will-" But the guy only held up a hand, and turned to face Paul, who had a smile of his own, a smile promising evil.

Nico stood there, as frozen as a statue, his legs shaking. He could only watch Will and his father, watching them face off. Then, time froze. Slow motion kicked in as he saw the boy's father connect his fist with the boy's cheek. It all happened as fast as a snail traveling from America to South America. The boy slowly fell to the ground, covering his face with his hands, protecting whatever flesh he could. The man pounced on him, kicking his body while rapidly punching and slapping his cheek. Echoes of moans of pain and sorrow were muffled by the horrid slapping and hitting sounds the boy's father was dealing to the poor boy. A small puddle of red blood seeped out of the boy's nose, followed by tears of pain.

"That's enough!" Nico screamed at the man. "He's had enough! What I'll do whatever you want, just leave him alone!" The man ignored him, continuing to cause bruises all over the boy's body.

After what seemed to take six and a half million years, the moans stopped. The man ended the show with the grand finale - heaving the boy over his head and propelling him into the wall, causing a sickening crack. Then, dead silence.

Slowly, Paul turned to a hysteric Nico, who was trembling, with tears streaking down his pale cheeks. "Oh really?" His smile was sadistic, alight with something terrid.

Nico nodded, his eyes glued on the broken form of Will. He was an idiot, he never should have let Will try to face his father.

"Well, I'd like your phone for starts, then, I want to see you at our house by the time I'm home."

Utter hopelessness mixed with the queasy churning of his stomach served to make him weaker, and he only nodded glumly proffering his dark cell to Paul. Watching as the older man snatched it, and dropped it, crushing it beneath his boot. He turned to leave, but then stalked over and grabbed the bent and broken Will, marching out the doorframe. He turned to Nico, and shrugged, "Insurance." Was all he said, leaving Nico no choice.

He knew Paul wouldn't hesitate to kill Will if he didn't do as he said.

Nico didn't realize he'd been crying, but the wet drops glistened on his hands and sweatshirt where they'd fallen. He knew, and so did Paul, that he was stuck. He couldn't even try anything, not with Will somewhere, locked beneath Paul, at his mercy.

Click. Click. His eyes snapped up, red and puffy, to find the knob to his room being twisted, jerked, yanked in an attempt to open it.

So, now it was his turn. Nico could only draw his knees closer, and watch the door, awaiting the pain and misery that would surely follow.