Thank you guys so much for your AWESOME comments these last few chapters! To be completely honest with you all, I was scared you'd hate the smut and I'd have to rewrite the chapter without it! Glad to see you all enjoyed it and that gave me the courage to try more in the future! So yes, there WILL be more intense sexual moments in this story (like planned in the beginning XD)!

*SLIGHT TRIGGER WARNING*

Chapter Track:"Lost Boy" ~Ruth B

~Jude~
"Nice dog, good dog."

I licked my wind-chapped lips as I carefully backed away from the snarling beast. Sharp, very sharp, teeth, cold, piercing eyes that faintly reminded me of a certain pair of melted cobalt irises, and a snarl that would make even the fiercest of animals hesitate were the creature's weapons of choice.

Without breaking our staring match, I quietly treaded backward with my feet feeling heavier than lead and my hands outstretched defensively. The dog grinned maliciously, a sadistic glint flashing ominously in his eyes telling me that he wasn't kidding around.

"Kal-"

The dog barked powerfully, cutting me off instantly with a glare that froze me in my tracks. I flinched, gasping quietly and pleaded silently for Kallahan to find me; to still be here.

The dog lunged, tackling me to the ground and I screamed, the action cutting up my throat, as all the air in my lungs escaped in one instant. My back cracked against the solid, dust-covered ground and I winced, grinding my teeth as I closed my eyes. I cowered, hearing the ragged pants of the beast as he clambered upon my chest with pointed claws that prodded my skin through my hoodie.

I turned my head slightly to face the flagpole of the camp as his dog-breath fanned my face, never once opening my eyes in fear that it would only tempt him further. I swallowed slowly, my hands tightening into fists, as the realization that Kallahan had left soon dawned upon me. Suddenly, death didn't seem so bad.

As the beast tauntingly scraped his jagged teeth against the now exposed skin of my neck, I stifled a gasp. He shifted his weight to pin me down further, to trap me between the ground and his body to end the possibility of me breaking away. I closed my eyes even tighter and ground my teeth together as the seconds began to descend in my mind. 3, 2, 1—

"Down! Now! Get the fuck off, damn!"

At the sound of a shouting, familiar voice, the weight on my chest was immediately lifted and I could breathe once more. My eyes fluttered open slowly to see the dull, grey sky and clouds floating aimlessly through the wind. The majestic and wispy sound of a flag flying in the wind whispered in my ear, calming me further. My body felt so light, so airy. So free.

"Jude!"

There it is again—that voice. That familiar voice. That familiar baritone that I just couldn't place. I licked my lips once more, tasting the coppery taste of blood, I cringed.

"Jude! Jude, c'mon man! Fucking hell!"

Vibrant green eyes commanded my attention as I looked up at the handsome face of Kallahan once again. I smiled faintly, staring at him as he shouted incoherent babble. I chuckled lightly and hissed as pain coursed through me with the simple action. Suddenly, I yawned as the overwhelming urge to nap dawned upon me.

"Don't go to sleep Jude."

Sleep?

"Don't you dare go to fucking sleep!"

I yawned once more as I was hoisted into a pair of strong arms and carted off toward a nearby cabin, the sound of Kallahan's boots stomping against the wooden stairs ringing in my ear.

Sleep sounds good.

"What did I just say? Don't go to sleep!"

Yeah, sleep.

"Jude!"

Shh, I'm sleeping.

~Kallahan~

"Fuck, Jude!"

As adrenaline coursed through my body like a live wire, I lifted my steel-toed boot into the air and kicked down the locked door to the infirmary with a growl. The sound of wood splintering and rusty hinges creaking rang out through the air before the door fell to the ground with a deafening clatter. I huffed quietly, turning slightly to fit through the doorway with Jude in my arms, and stepped over the fallen oak door, into the abandoned infirmary.

Dust was scattered about, upheaved by the falling of the door, giving everything a dingy, yellowish color. I coughed as I walked forward, my boots clunking on the aged wood and the floorboards creaking with every step. Jude groaned quietly, shifting a bit and I held him tighter in my arms.

"We need to get you checked out," I whispered to myself more so than him and threw off the dusty covers of a nearby bed. I cringed as I thought of the possibility of bed bugs in the mattress and as Jude groaned once more, I shook my head. His life is more important.

The bed creaked dreadfully as I laid Jude's somewhat petite form onto the dingy sheets. I gripped the end of his hoodie before pulling it over his head, shaking him awake in the process.

"What are you doing?"

I smirked, containing my laughter as his usually quiet voice ran shrill and the dog from outside howled before trotting in with a dripping, pink tongue. I watched as he visibly tended and scooted farther from both me and the doofus that was currently sat next to me with his drool dripping on my boots.

"We're in the infirmary, I was going to make sure you weren't bleeding to death but it was kind of hard to do if I couldn't see your body. Luckily though, it looks like you fainted from fear, not pain. I guess doofus here scared ya pretty badly."

He scowled, gripping his discarded hoodie in his pale hands tightly as he trembled. I continued smirking until my eyes landed on the crisscrossing marks along his wrist, leading to his biceps, then up his shoulder. My eyes softened before hardening considerably as my smirk dropped to a frown.

"Jude."

Innocent cinnamon eyes met my steeled green timidly as my voice came out in a low, almost threatening rumble. He paled, even more than he already was, and clutched his hoodie to his chest tighter. I glared darkly at his arms as he shook like a leaf, causing my gaze to soften.

"Why?"

"Why what-"

"Your arms."

He paused.

He ran.

"Jude! Get your ass over here," I growled as I grabbed him by his waist, pulling him away from the doorway, and hoisted him over my shoulder as he beat at my back ruthlessly with his little fists.

"Put me down!"

"No, I think I like you better like this," I stated smugly, smacking him on the ass for emphasis, and he squealed, tugging at my hair. I hissed in pain and dumped him on the bed once again and pinned him down, the scars on his arms easily visible.

"Let me go!"

"No."

"Please!"

"No."

"You don't understand! You won't understand!"

"Try me," I whispered, staring into the same warm, cinnamon eyes I missed so fucking much, and he calmed, panting slightly from his struggle. I watched him intently as his chest heaved slowly through the confines of his solid white tee, slight beads of sweat forming on his forehead and sliding down the contours of his face.

I raised my hand slowly and gently brushed away a stray strand of feathery hair and tucked it behind his ear as he stilled, freezing at my touch. I didn't remove my hand from his face, instead I cupped his cheek and tenderly stroked my thumb across the smooth, porcelain-like surface in small circles. Awestricken, I watched as sunlight peeked through the grey sky outside and into the dusty room before sliding across Jude's face. He was beautiful. Absolutely stunning in every sense of the word. From his pink lips, to his button nose, he was a masterpiece. A true work of art.

"Please Jude, I need to know why you would do this to yourself," I pleaded to him, gripping his hand tightly in mine as a lone tear made its slow descent from the side of my face before landing on his cheek and continuing to the mattress.

"It's in the past. It doesn't matter," he mumbled quietly, his eyes slowly shifting to stare at the tally marks along his arm with sorrow and regret. I sighed silently, closing my eyes before gently pressing kisses up his right arm, starting at his shoulder.

"It matters."

I whispered against his skin and he gasped quietly, tensing slightly. I pressed a tender kiss to the fading scars, softly brushing the marked skin with my lips.

"You matter."

He watched me intently with a beautiful blush, his big, brown eyes wide with shock, anticipation, and curiosity as my lips delicately trailed across the once smooth underside of his arm, pressing against every last one of his scars.

"K-kallahan?"

I paused, pressing one last, lingering kiss to the palm of his hand before pulling back to see his face highlighted in the evening sun. The light brought out the pink of his cheeks and the shimmer in his eyes as he parted his lips to speak.

"One hundred fifty-eight."

"What," I questioned, stroking his face once again and smiling when he leaned into my touch.

"I counted the months I was orphaned. There are one hundred and fifty-eight marks. Most are healed, some are still there. Each mark reminds me of the struggles of each month. Every torturous interview, every fleeing couple, and every lonely night of crying myself to sleep is documented here on my arms," he whispered, holding up both of his arms for emphasis before letting them drop numbly to his sides.

"They're so ugly. I'm so ugly. No wonder I was unloved, I can't even look at these scars without crying."

As if on cue, tears began to cascade down his rosy cheeks in long, wispy trails. My breath caught in my throat as I looked upon the angel beneath me, tears streaking down his cheeks in immeasurable amounts before seeping into the mattress.

"You're beautiful," I whispered, wiping away his tears before softly pecking his cheeks.

"I'm not," he mumbled against me and I held his hands in mine once again, looking deeply into the pained cinnamon eyes I managed to somehow fall for. I watched the sunlight dance in them, revealing the darkness hidden within the dark irises. Pain, fear, regret, hurt, every emotion he kept bottled up within his petite body for years was suddenly and desperately crying out. Crying out for someone. Anyone. Me.

"You are."

With a small intake of air, I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to his, claiming his lips in a gentle, tender kiss. He froze against me as my chapped lips kneaded at his for a reaction. Please, just let me have this.

Just as I was about to pull away dejectedly, I felt a slight pressure being returned and I opened my eyes in time to see Jude's dark irises flutter shut. I sighed into the kiss, closing my eyes once again as we softly pressed our lips together. I slid my hands over his scars until they came to settle at his waist, his hands shakily resting upon my shoulders. I pulled him closer to myself as the kiss naturally deepened, his body pressed as tightly to mine as his lips to my own. I smiled as I rubbed small circles in the small of his back and he moaned quietly, pushing his soft, pink lips against mine timidly. As the need for air became too much for him, he pulled away, slowly laying his head on the mattress with an embarrassed smile and a blush to match. I grinned, stroking his cheek with my thumb and pecked his lips once more.

"Baby, you're beautiful."
~~~~
AWWWWWWWWW!!! MY BABIES!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!! I CAN'T RIGHT NOW GUYS!!!

I hope you enjoyed the Chapter as much as I did! With much thanks, this is Brendan Ash signing out!

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