My head was throbbing as my heavy eyes pried themselves open. I looked around and realized I was back in my room, what happened at that party?

Suddenly a gurgling started in my stomach and quickly made its way up my throat. I fell out of bed, crawling across the floor to the trash can next to my desk.

I vomited profusely while my frail hands gripped the metal sides of the can.

"Hey...hey shhh you're going to be alright." I heard a very calm and very sleepy voice mutter.

Vic.

I felt his hand slowly rubbing up and down my back soothingly. His other hand pulled my hair back from my face, holding it away from my vomit.

I continued choking and spitting out everything from last night, my body convulsing. When I felt myself finish, I shoved the trash can as far away from me as possible and collapsed against the nearby wall.

I turned my hazy gaze towards Vic who was sitting on his knees in front of me. He reached forward and tucked a piece of hair behind my ears, my face feeling hot as sweat beaded across my forehead.

"Here, drink this." Vic whispered, handing me a chilled water bottle.

I grasped the bottle and put it up to my lips. I tilted my head back as I gulped down the refreshing cold liquid, eager to get the taste of vomit from my throat.

"Whoa hey slow down, you don't want to shock your body and throw up all that water." Vic spoke, concern in his voice as he quickly moved the water bottle away from my lips.

"I'm fine...what happened at the party? We have to stop meeting like this." I responded with a forced laugh.

I couldn't remember much about the party but I did remember what happened before the party. I remembered every detail about class and how I tried and failed...to forget. Alcohol didn't help me forget what actually mattered.

"Kellin...I know you love to change the subject but we have to talk about this." Vic whispered.

"About what?" I asked, not daring to look Vic in the eye.

"You got completely wasted last night, Jack said that isn't like you." Vic said, motioning towards Jack fast asleep.

"I...I just wanted to have fun. It's college." I shrugged.

Vic stared at me in silence, his eyes darting from mine and his lap. He looked as if he were contemplating his next choice of words.

"Do you remember Alan being there?" He whispered.

My chest instantly tightened at the sound of his name as memories of yesterday came flooding back. I remembered him talking to me in class, I remembered him looking at me at the party, I remembered him bumping into me while I was dancing with Vic. I remembered Jack holding me up and Vic fought him.

"He talked to me in class." I mumbled.

"He what?! When?! I'm going to destroy him." Vic seethed, raising his voice a bit.

I subconsciously reached forward and put my hand on his shoulder to calm him down. I watched Jack stir in his bed out of the corner of my eye.

"Shhh! Um...it was before the party...he...Alan... is in my English Lit class." I choked out the words.

"What did he say to you?" Vic asked.

"He just...smiled at me and said 'Hi Kellin." I answered, nervously gripping the water bottle I was holding in my lap.

"He shouldn't come near you at all." Vic grumbled.

"Mmm after last night, if that dick even tries to walk within 500 feet of you Kellin, he's got a death wish." Jaime's voice suddenly filled the room.

"Wait why is Jaime here?" I asked.

"He carried you back here...Jack isn't exactly strong and I can't exactly walk." Vic answered, smiling a little.

"Hey! I heard that!" Jack piped up, now sitting upright in his bed.

"Yeah I kinda passed out, sorry about that. But seriously, you should've seen Vic last night. Dude's got a broken leg and he still could've killed that guy." Jaime chimed in.

I giggled a little, remembering how Vic threw his crutches aside to fight Al- him.

"Speaking of which, how is your leg? You should elevate it." I spoke.

"Elevate it." Vic said at the same time.

I rolled my eyes playfully and crawled over to Vic, starting to help him up off the floor to get him seated more comfortably.

"After all this...you still care more about my dumb leg." I heard Vic mutter under his breath, a small smile spreading on his face.

I shrugged, not knowing what to say so I focused on getting Vic into my desk chair. I pulled Jack's chair over too and placed it in front of Vic, setting a pillow down on the seat. I slowly lifted his injured leg up and onto the fluffy pillow.

"Well, I better get back to my room. Tony's probably wondering what happened to me. Kellin? If that guy comes near you again, you just let me know and we'll take care of it." Jaime turned to me and put his hand out to fist bump me.

I returned to fist bump and nodded, not really knowing what to say, "Thanks man."

Jaime and Vic nodded at each other solemnly before Jaime slipped out of the room.

"Kellin?" Jack spoke up.

"W-what happened with Alan?"

I looked down at my feet, playing with my hands nervously as my throat closed. I opened my mouth to speak, afraid that if I say the words, they'll happen again. Afraid that by talking about what happened to me, that it won't just haunt me in my dreams.

I sat up on my bed and held the pancake stuffed animal that Vic got me, close to my chest. The soft plush fur felt warm against my fingertips. I stared down at its happy stitched smile, thread by thread. So much time was put into getting its smile just right. And it was just a stuffed animal, an inanimate object.

I felt the bed sink, signaling that someone had joined me. I pulled my knees up to my chest and picked my heavy head up to meet Jack's eyes.

Jack had been there for me since our very first day on this campus. He had always been the life of the party, the first one to make a joke, the first one to laugh, the first one to brush anything off.

I didn't know how he would react to what I was about to say but in this moment, I desperately needed a friend and he was the closest one I had.

"T-the night of that Freshman party? Um...Alan d-drugged me....a-and he....he brought me outside...and..." I started, tears welling up in my eyes.

I squeezed my eyes shut, letting the salty drops glide down my face uncontrollably. I held my grip on the pancake and buried my head in my knees.

"Hey...you're doing great Kellin." Vic spoke softly, his hand touched my knee as he rubbed his thumb across it.

I felt myself nod as I lifted my head back up, wiping my face on my sleeve. Jack's face looked foreign to me. His eyes held so much pain.

"H-he didn't listen. I told him no but he didn't s-stop...He t-touched me and p-pulled my pants d-down..." I continued, choking on my sobs.

Jack suddenly threw his arms around me in a hug. I stayed in his embrace as I finished retelling my story. Vic's hand moved from my knee to my own hand, gripping it tightly.

I looked up at Vic and saw that he, too, was sniffling. I could tell that he was trying to be strong for me but he was doing a bad job at hiding it. A single tear dropped down his handsome face, leaving behind a track against his caramel skin.

That one tear broke my heart.

"If V-Vic didn't come and pull Alan off me...he would've...r-raped me..."

All three of us sat in silence. The only sound filling the room was my sobs as I heaved and gasped for breath.

Jack pulled back slightly to look at me.

"Kellin...I...I'm so sorry... I'm your best friend..I should've known something was wrong. Jack trailed off, his voice full of guilt.

"Hey don't do that. I purposely didn't tell you...I didn't tell anyone...you've been more of a friend to me in the last month than anyone back home was my entire life." I answered, putting my hand on his back reassuringly.

"We should tell the Dean! That...monster deserves to be arrested." Jack said with determination.

"What is with the both of you wanting me to take this to the Dean?" I snapped.

I pulled myself from their embraces and got off my bed, pacing back and forth the room. I had no idea what just came over me but I suddenly felt the urge to punch something. Rationally, in my head, I knew they were just trying to help, I knew they both meant well. But they didn't go through what I did. They didn't know what it felt like everyday to feel like this broken, little boy. To feel like I was some delicate thing that was going to collapse at any second. I wanted to feel whole again. And going to the Dean wasn't going to do that.

I stared at Jack and Vic who both looked taken aback by my sudden outburst.

"Okay okay no Dean." Jack said quickly.

"You two don't know what this is like for me! I've said it once, I've said it again, I've said it a thousand times practically. I don't want to go to the Dean." I said stubbornly.

I glanced at Vic who had almost a look of hurt in his eyes? However, it flashed away as quickly as it came. He dropped his injured leg from the chair as he grabbed his crutches and hobbled over to me. I felt my knees go wobbly as that all too familiar feeling crept up my throat. I couldn't hold back the sobs anymore.

"I...I can't go to the D-Dean...I c-can't talk about t-this again...it's g-going to destroy me Vic..." I collapsed against him as the tears started flowing.

Vic stumbled a bit on his crutches as he flung his arms around me, holding me close against his chest. I completely lost it, sliding down against the wall, bringing Vic down with me.

Vic rubbed the back of my head gently as he rocked us back and forth, holding my shaking body tightly.

"Shhh...shhh...I'm right here...you don't have to go to the Dean. You don't have to talk about this again. Darling, you're going to be okay. Vic said soothingly.

"Why're you so nice to me? Look at me! I'm a wreck...a nightmare. You stick up for me and you help me...you have a broken leg because of me. I'm a mess." I rambled in between sobs.

"Um...I'm going to take that as my queue...Kellin I'll be back later okay?" Jack whispered before ducking out the door.

Vic put his hand under my chin and lifted it up to meet his gaze.

"Kells...you're not in any way... a mess. Y-you....you're beautiful and kind, and your laugh makes my stomach do all these flippy things a-and..." Vic trailed off, tears starting to fall from his eyes.

He wiped the snot from his nose, his little nose ring sparkling light off of it. Vic tore his gaze from mine as he tried to get his breathing back to normal. I looked up at him while the tears dripped onto his lap, moving down his nose and over his lips. He opened his mouth to speak and took in a sharp, gasping breath.

"A-and it's so fucking hard watching you g-go through this...I wish so bad I could've gotten their sooner or even p-put myself in your place so y-you don't have to know this p-pain..." Vic was crying uncontrollably now.

The more I watched him break down, it only made me cry harder. Hearing Vic admit these feelings for me caused my heart to practically explode out of my chest. I don't know why he was beating himself up so much over this. It broke me. He didn't deserve this guilt.

"V-Vic...you're my guardian a-angel..." I whispered, choking on each word as the tears continued to pour.

Vic finally turned back to face me, his eyes bloodshot, "W-what?"

"I-I've been mesmerized by y-you from the second I saw you in o-our dorm room m-meeting...You m-make me feel so special...You s-aved me..." I admitted, looking deeply into his tear stained chocolate eyes.

Vic turned away from me and gripped his hair tightly, pulling his legs up to his chest and hiding his face.

"B-but...I w-wasn't quick enough...I s-should've killed that bastard when I had the c-chance I -" Vic mumbled against his knees but I cut him off.

"Kiss me." I whispered.

Vic picked his head up and looked directly into my eyes.

"A-are you sure?" He asked so quietly.

I simply nodded and that was all it took for Vic to crawl back over to me.

He held both sides of my face in his calloused hands as he smashed his lips to mine. Vic's lips moved against mine with a passionate force, our mouths desperately wanting to be closer, our teeth bumping into one another's. We kissed like we thought it would take away the pain and in those moments, it did.

My heart skipped as I gripped Vic's sweatshirt, pulling him against me as I fell backwards with him on top of me. I could feel Vic's tears against my cheeks, no doubt he felt mine on his face too.

My hands moved to Vic's hips as I held him close, his torso hovering just above me.

I opened my mouth and let Vic slide his tongue against mine. He brought his hand back up to cup my cheek as a soft moan escaped my lips. I heard Vic grunt in response as I tugged roughly on his bottom lip, biting it.

Vic pulled back, breaking the kiss before resting his forehead against mine.

"Oh Kellin....god...you...I....wow..." Vic spoke, breathless.

"Y-you're perfect." I whispered.

A huge grin spread across Vic's face as lust dashed across his eyes, they were cloudy and sparkly and full.

"You have no idea how much I...." Vic grinned and trailed off, shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worry in my voice.

Vic put an arm around my back as he helped pull me up in a seated position. He looked deeply into my eyes, his fingertips trailing down my cheek and neck.

"You make me feel...so many things. And you have no idea what that kiss just did to me..." He chuckled lightly, a blush color forming on his cheeks.

"Oh I bet I can guess...because it did all the same things to me." I whispered, giggling back and putting a finger to my lips, still feeling a tingle from where Vic's lips just were.

"You mean a lot to me Kells...and I don't want our first...you know kiss...to be just lust driven after us both being emotional...I want it to be special...you deserve to be treated like a king." Vic answered, pulling his hood up to hide his red face.

"Victor Fuentes! I'm supposed to be the big softy over here!" I giggled at his sudden shyness, my heart doing all sorts of flips and flops.

I reached forward and pulled his hood off his head, taking his cheek in my hand this time. I turned his head to face me and smiled at him.

"Can I take you on a date? A real date?" Vic said abruptly.

"Will it be black tie?" I asked, smiling back at him.

"Of course! With a glass slipper and everything." Vic responded, grinning.

"Just tell me when and where and I'll be there, Romeo." I giggled, grabbing Vic's crutches and helping him up off the floor.

I walked him back to his dorm room, going up the elevator to the top floor. When we reached his door, he balanced his crutches underneath his arms and held both of my hands in his.

"I'm going to help you get through this, okay? I'll be here for you always. I won't let anything or anyone hurt you. That's a promise, Kellin." Vic spoke gently.

I nodded, "You have no clue how much that means to me, Vic."

He smiled a bit, reaching up to tuck some of my hair behind my ear.

"I'll walk you to and from classes, I'll come over in a second if you need me, I'll listen if you need to talk about..you know...I'll be here." Vic rambled.

I watched him as he started to get worked up again and wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug, comforting him.

"Oh and I almost forgot...I was going to give this to you last night but then...well you know." Vic mumbled as he fished around in his pocket for something.

"I've been so bored around my dorm and Mike brought over different colored strings...you know the kind you use to make those friendship bracelets. It's silly but we used to make them back home and I...I made one for you. I made one for me too." Vic said, pulling out a bracelet made up of different shades of blue string.

Vic took my hand in his as he gently tied the bracelet around my wrist.

"It's blue...like your eyes. Anyways, I thought you'd like it and whenever you look at it you could maybe think of me? I don't know, it's dumb." Vic muttered.

"It's not dumb at all! It's beautiful Vic, I can't believe you made this for me." I smiled at him, running my thumb along the strings.

"A-anyways...I should probably go...I keep forgetting it's morning and we have class." Vic said, stuttering over his words.

I giggled at his cuteness and nodded.

"You'll text me later?" I asked.

"Always." Vic nodded, smiling huge as he backed into his room and shut the door.

I stood in the hallway staring at the bracelet around my wrist, feeling the tingle on my lips, and blinked away the tears that were forming in my eyes.

I would get through this.

___Author's Note (PLEASE VOTE)___

Alrighty! A lot happened in this chapter! What do we think about that kiss? Hot damn

What about Vic's breakdown?

This was an emotional one to write but I hope you all enjoyed it as always

-Cassidy :)