Gerard's grip on Patrick's wrist is rough as they head up the steps to Gerard's house. The man yanks open the door, shoving Patrick inside, and shuts it behind himself not long after.

Gerard was waiting for Patrick right as his shift had ended. It had been a long day without Pete and Gerard's whole fight, longer with them in it and Patrick knows he's not mad with him. Probably just with Pete. It was pretty obvious they weren't exactly friends as they talked about... Lucifer and whoever the fuck else. All the yelling and the snapping. Patrick knew Pete was digging claws under Gerard's skin. From the gritting of his teeth to the fists at his sides. He's just not entirely sure what he was mad it or their history or how Pete even found out about it in the first place.

But Patrick damn sure wants to know.

"What the hell is going on?"

Those are the first words out of the blond's mouth as Gerard locks the entryway, then turns to the boy. He looks pissed, anything but scared as he glares up at Gerard with his elbows propping him up from behind on the stairs.

"Do you still think I'm a fucking madman?" Gerard asks honestly.

"I'm really not fucking sure right now," Patrick replies harshly, "I just want to know what the fuck is going on and if I'm gonna have any more of you people trying to kill me. I also want to know if you guys are for real or if you just need a good fucking mental hospital to stay at."

"Is the fact that I was burned by silver enough? Or that you found me with blood on my shirt? Or that I have fangs and only when I come back after killing someone am I not as pale and weak? When I found you, I was looking to kill, to eat. So yes, I'm a vampire and yes, I'm an angel," Gerard says, "and you're not supposed to know any of this."

Patrick searches Gerard's eyes, but just like always, he sees no lie. It's the truth. All of it.

"Okay, if you're an angel then why were you sent to earth?" Patrick asks, his temper calming the slightest so a gentler tone comes out from his lips and his eyes.

"I did a lot of shit in my last life..." Gerard trails off, avoiding Patrick's eyes, "do... do you trust me?"

Their eyes meet again and Patrick swallows as he stares at the man, "I don't know."

Gerard sucks a lip between his teeth and after a moment of hesitation, he sighs, "Do you really want to know why I came here?"

Patrick nods, still watching Gerard closely, "Obviously."

"Then you gotta trust me. I need your trust in everything from now on. You gotta believe me. You gotta know that I'm telling the truth," Gerard says, "Otherwise, I can't tell you. I don't want to be taken for granted."

Patrick watches for a moment. He doesn't do trust, doesn't believe in shit and with Gerard asking him for something so big, he's hesitant. What if he stabs him in the back just like everyone else has? What if he's just using him until he sucks out all his blood and leaves him in a ditch?

But he hasn't let him down yet.

"Okay." Patrick whispers.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

Gerard bites his lip, "I'm giving you two months which will make it about three months since you first came here. If I'm still up for it, I'll tell you. Otherwise, I don't want a complaint and you're gonna trust me."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Patrick sighs, standing up and turning, "I'm going to sleep because it's three in the fucking morning. Goodnight."

Gerard sighs and watches Patrick slowly make his way upstairs before replying.

"Night..."

***

The next month passes by fast, Patrick slowly gets used to the fact that Gerard goes out about once or twice a week and comes back with bloodstains. Patrick works on paying off rent which Gerard actually found a use for (Patrick's begun to use the electricity and the water more and Gerard had to pay bills).

Most weekends, Patrick spends sleeping or watching TV. Thankfully, he hasn't gone through many problems with rapists and drug dealers. They've all passed and Gerard is usually there to walk Patrick home in case something does happen. Gerard knows Patrick is terrified, knows exactly how deep the night they met took him.

Which brings them to here. One month after Pete left.

Patrick holds Gerard's hand close, trying not to shake and seem scared when in all reality, he's terrified.

Travie and his men found him.

This wouldn't be scary in any other situation, but this time Travie has a gun and Patrick can't escape. It's a shiny, clean pistol, probably brand new and on the side, Patrick spots a small TM engraved in the side. That cocky bastard.

"Hey there, Tricky," the man chuckles, "been a while, hasn't it? You miss me?"

Patrick squeezes Gerard's arm and shakily hides his face away.

"Okay, Patrick, if I remember right, you owe me money. Lotsa money. $40,000 I was supposed to get back three months ago, right? Forty thousand for the coke, the apartment, the beer. I gave you everything you may have wanted, Man. And what do you give me? Absolutely nothing. I fuckin' fathered you, Man," The venom in his voice goes undisguised.

"Leave him alone," Gerard hisses.

"Who the fuck is this guy?" Travie smirks, holding his gun up and to the side and close one eye. His arm flops to the side soon after and he begins walking forward, grabbing Gerard by the collar and snickering, "Are you some hobo, Man? You gotta lotta nerve challenging me."

Gerard steps back and glares while Travie forces Patrick's head up, "You got that forty thousand, man? Or are we gonna do this the hard way? Do I have to bring you back and teach you a lesson like last time, Whore?"

Patrick pulls away, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his teeth.

Don't remember. Don't remember. It's not worth it. It's over now.

Gerard growls and holds a hand on Patrick's shoulder menacingly, "Don't you dare touch him. He's been through enough as it is."

Travie swings his fist but before he can get far, Gerard catches it and twists his arm. Hard.

The man screams in pain and Patrick runs, trying to escape the circle of men before any more harm can come of them. He hears yelling but refuses to look back, instead just continues to sprint, breaths heaving but years of stripping had definitely paid off.

He passes one building, two, bang!, three, "WHERE DID THAT BASTARD GO?" four, turn left and keep going, going, going.

Patrick only stops when he can't continue on. His lungs are burning and screaming for air, his legs hurt from all the running, his heart is racing in his chest, and he has to lean over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"I told you to fucking pay me back, where's all that money you promised gone?" Travie asks, gritting his teeth as he tugs on Patrick's hair.

"I told you, I've been buying food," Patrick growls.

Travie slaps him, "Bullshit, do I need to fucking invite my friends over and remind you where you belong? You want to be fucked all the way past overstimulation again? Dry and spread out for Gabe and Will and Joe and Andy and Matt and I?"

Patrick squeezes his eyes shut and turns his head, "n-no, Daddy."

"Good, Slut."

Patrick's hands are shaking and his eyes are wide as he tries to shake himself if it. Of Travie. Of Gabe.

"Shut up, Whore."

"Please, no, Travie, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean t-to I was high a-and-"

"And you went through all my fucking beer? You're a stupid, worthless whore! Shut up and bend over like a good slut."

Patrick feels tears rising to his eyes and he tries as hard as he can to blink them back. No more crying. No more tears. Travie's gone. There's no need.

"Are you okay?"

Patrick gasps when he turns, but there's nobody. That's when Gerard appears out of thin air, eyes worried and a hoodie over his bare skin.

"You're crying," Gerard says quietly, "You never cry."

Patrick moves away from him and quickly wipes his tears, "it's fine. Let's go home."

Gerard holds him back, though, squeezing his shoulder, "no, not yet. You normally hide all those feelings. I can kill that bastard if you need me, too."

"I hide all those feelings? The fuck are you talking about? You're not my fucking therapist," Patrick growls.

"Hey, no, stop with the whole aggressive act," Gerard frowns, "Okay? You don't want to be hurt like you were before, you don't let yourself trust anymore. I understand that, okay? But you need to stop hiding. I'm not here to hurt you. I'll kill Travie right now if you want me to. I don't want anyone else hurting you and I promise you don't have to go back to those people. You're safe. You don't have to hide anymore."

Patrick lowers his eyes, biting his lip and eventually just nodding, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Kill him. I don't want him to hurt me again..." Patrick whispers, "Go ahead and feed off of him. I'm gonna go home..."

Gerard gives him a worried look, "You're gonna be okay?"

Patrick nods, "I just need to think for a while. I'll talk to you later I guess."

Gerard presses his lips to Patrick's head and as he had hoped, the boy doesn't move or resist. Just wipes more tears away.

"Get some sleep, Man, I'll be there in 20."

"Okay."