Nightmare

Avenged Sevenfold were celebrating the beginning of their most recent tour with Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, and Hollywood Undead. Of course all of them were drinking (except the DDs Brian, Jinnx, Ben, and Danny from HU; poor guys) and about two hours into the celebration Matt noticed something off. 

"Hey guys, have you seen Johnny?" he asked any of the members of the bands. All replied with a "No."

He grow worried when no one had seen him so he walked outside and around the bar looking for him. He was nowhere in sight so he went back inside and gathered some of the others who haven't drank much (Zacky, Arin, Andy, Ashley, George, Jordan, and the DDs) to go look for him farther away from the bar. 

It was Brian and Danny who found him. 

The rest was all a blur to them. Danny and Brian running towards him. Calling up the others. Getting him to the car. Trip to the hospital. The cops asking questions. Everything. 

It was a few days later that Johnny told the boys of Avenged what exactly happened.

"Went out for a smoke. Some guys jumped me, took me somewhere, raped me, then beat me up. That's all." 

Then an explosion of "'That's all'?!" from Matt, a disbelieving look from Brian, Arin looking like he was gonna be sick, and Zacky storming from room. 

Johnny was released from the hospital a few days later. 

He was never the same. His performance was great, spot on even, but he just wasn't into it. He didn't meet with the fans, hung out with the other bands, hardly left the bus, and if he did, he was never without one of the guys. Mostly Matt. 

Johnny doesn't speak much anymore either. The only time they hear him speak is if he wants one of them to go with him somewhere or at night when he has the Nightmares. 

Everything and anything will make him jump anymore. He's jittery and constantly looking behind him like something (or someone) is going to get him. And it's breaking the guys hearts.

Matt especially. He wants to find the bastards and kick their asses for ever thinking about hurting Johnny. The cops never did find the bastards. Told the guys they were most likely a part of one of the gangs roaming around and it was unlikely to find them and if they do, be able to do anything. That raised all kinds of hell from the boys until Johnny just told them to drop it and walked out of the station. 

They don't bring it up and Johnny doesn't won't talk about it. 

It takes running into his rapists again that makes Johnny finally crack. 

Matt and Johnny were at the store getting some things when Johnny freezes at the sounds of laughter coming farther down the aisle. 

Matt of course notices the change. "What is it Jay?"

"We need to go." Is all he says in reply. But Matt wants to know why when he hears it. 

"Hey guys look. It's the fairy and his boyfriend. How's it going fairy?" one of them taunt. 

Johnny tries to keep his composure but Matt can see through it and he's not happy one bit. 

So he punches the bitch in the face. And he feels damn good about it. Even when his pansy friends try to hurt him. An amazing feeling revenge is. Until Johnny breaks down that is. 

It takes hours to get him to calm down (of course Brian just spiked it with a little bit of vodka). After that Johnny never left his room. Not even for Matt. 

The night Brian finally had enough of Johnny being locked up in his room and kicking down his door is when the discover their worst Nightmare. 

Johnny was laying on his bloodstained bed, barely breathing, and blood oozing from the wound cut across his neck. 

This is the second time that everything seemed to blur together. This time though, it was much more urgent. 

Matt couldn't calm down until he knew Johnny was alright. 

The next morning is when the doctor came out and told them that they fixed up Jay's neck. "If he would've cut a little deeper or you've got to his room a little bit later, he wouldn't still be here." Then he told them they could go see him. Zacky didn't hesitate to get there. 

Johnny was sleeping when they got there. Zacky plopped down in the chair next to the bed and watched Johnny while he slept. The others found places to sit and wait for him to wake up. They all eventually fell asleep in the awkward positions the were sitting in. 

About four hours later, Jay woke up. He noticed all the guys in around the room and saw the their tear stained cheeks. 

He shook Zacky's shoulder, whispering his name in the raspy voice Jay now has. Zacky woke slowly but became fully awake when he figured out it was Johnny waking him. 

"Why?" was the first thing out of Zacky's mouth and Johnny just shook his head. 

"I couldn't take it anymore."

Zacky just stared at him. "Why didn't you come talk to one of us Johnny? You know we'd help you as best we could."

Johnny shook his head, "It wouldn't have been enough Zack. I just... I couldn't deal anymore. I wanted to be away from it all."

"All of what?"

"The pain."

Matt woke up then and started freaking out on Johnny so bad, it woke Brian and Arin and the doctor had to give him a sedative, so Matt is out like a light for the next hour and an half. 

The hospital forces Johnny to go see a professional and is placed in an Institute to help him over his depression and everything that had helped it progress. 

"So you're telling me you've been depressed for years  and didn't bother talking to us about it?" 

"Yes."

That friends, pissed Matt off more than anyone cohorts been able to imagine. To put it lightly, it takes months for him to speak to Johnny again. Which, of course, Matt being as stubborn as a mule, caused a bit more stress on John y than the doctors would have liked but it was the thing that really pushed Johnny to get better. He didn't want Matt mad at him. It took him a while but Johnny finally realised that he was in love with Matt; his friend, his band mate, his brother.

It takes him even longer to tell Matt his feelings (only because Matt refused to talk to him until Zacky finally talked some sense into him that ignoring Jay wasn't helping either of them). And when Johnny finally tells Matt, Matt just stands there, mouth open, forming the perfect "o" and is like that for what seems like an eternity.

Johnny looks away, blush covering his cheeks, as he apologises and turns to leave when something stops him. 

Matt's lips on his.

Johnny knows that everything isn't all right but with Matt by his side, it will be.