Times Change, Friends Leave and Life Doesn't Wait for Anybody

Vic was getting more and more agitated as the time went on. They hadn’t heard from Ronnie for the past two weeks, but whereas Kellin was relieved, Vic became more nervous. He was convinced that Ronnie was planning something, and so he was pretending to be ill, just to get out of leaving the apartment.
“Vic, maybe he’s just given up.” Kellin said with a sigh as Vic lay on the sofa, buried under thick blankets and staring blankly at the television.
“He doesn’t give up.” Vic mumbled.
“Maybe he has this time.” Kellin said defiantly. As terrible as he felt for Vic, he was kind of getting sick of the shorter boy moping around.
“He won’t.” Vic said hotly. “Kellin, I know him. He doesn’t like not getting what he wants. He wanted to... You know, with me, and he’s probably going to try again.”
“So you seriously think he’s going to try and rape you again?” Kellin elucidated, horrified.
“Yes. And he’ll probably succeed.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Kellin, you can’t be with me at every waking hour. He’ll catch me alone at some point and then...” Vic trailed off, sniffing and burying his face into the sofa cushion.
“Vic... You’re going to give yourself a heart attack. Stop worrying, you’ll be fine.” Kellin scolded, rubbing Vic’s leg.
“How do you know that?” Vic demanded.
“I... Vic, come on. You’re going to be fine. And you’re going to go to school tomorrow.” He added.
“But I’m sick.” Vic whined, faking a sneeze.
“Are you kidding me?” Kellin snorted. “You’re going tomorrow. And you’re going to be absolutely fine.”
Vic sighed and nodded dejectedly. Although he didn’t say anything, Kellin could tell that Vic was annoyed that Kellin appeared not to be taking his side, rolling over on his side so that his back was to Kellin, pulling his blankets up over his head so he wouldn’t be able to hear even if Kellin was speaking to him.
“You’re acting like a child.” Kellin sighed. Of course, he understood why Vic was on edge, but that was no reason to take it out on him.
“Shut up.” Vic said in response, stretching out a foot and kicking Kellin on the thigh.
“Mature, Vic.”
“I’m allowed to be whiny today, Kellin. Be sympathetic.” Vic moaned.
“I am. But you know there’s no point whinging about it, nothing’s going to change. And I know you’re being pissy to try and hide how scared you actually are.” Kellin added knowingly. Vic peered up from under his blankets.
“...Yeah.”
“Come here.” Kellin patted his lap, and Vic eagerly climbed into it, resting his head on Kellin’s shoulder and sighing. “You’re gonna be fine, Vic.” Kellin insisted again, still not quite sure whether to believe it himself.
____
Kellin rushed home the next day, having received a text from Vic telling him that he was sure that someone was trying to get into the apartment.
“Kellin!” Vic shouted as soon as Kellin opened the door. Kellin froze as he looked at Vic, and at the back of a man he didn’t recognise, but had an idea of who could make Vic appear so frightened.
“So this is the ‘Kellin’ you replaced me with?” Ronnie spun around and sneered at him. His long, dark hair was matted, the eyeliner around his eyes emphasising the darkness in them, his tattoos prominent against his pale skin. “Bit of a downgrade, if you ask me.”
“Get out of here.” Kellin seethed.
“I just want to talk to my Vicky.” He smiled, turning back to Vic.
“I’m… I’m not yours anymore, Ronnie.” Vic argued quietly.
“You’ll always be mine, Victor.” Ronnie snarled, stepping forward and grabbing a handful of Vic’s hair, twisting it around his fist and causing Vic to yelp in pain.
“Get the fuck away from him!” Kellin shouted, reaching forward and grabbing onto Ronnie’s forearm, tugging him away from Vic. Ronnie, being so much bigger than both Kellin and Vic, batted Vic away with a swift movement of his hand, and then turned to Kellin.
“Do you seriously think you’ll be able to take me on?” He snorted. “You’re what? Five feet tall?” Kellin ignored him, instead watched as Vic stepped quietly to their bedroom. Vic raised a finger to his lips and continued, completely disappearing from Kellin’s view for a moment, before re-emerging with his electric guitar clutched tightly in his hands.
“Try me.” Kellin shrugged. He knew that he’d probably have to let Ronnie hit him a few times before Vic could get to him. All he had to do was keep him in roughly the same position.
“Seriously?” Ronnie laughed and took a step forward cracking his knuckles as he did so. Kellin darted towards the taller, older man and took a swing at his nose, which he easily blocked.
Ronnie sneered at Kellin and raised his fist, now gripping tightly to Kellin’s wrist. Kellin closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact, which never came. Instead, Kellin heard a loud ‘whoosh’ and a thwack, followed by Ronnie releasing his hand and falling to the floor.
Kellin opened his eyes to see Vic still holding his guitar at the same level Ronnie’s head had been at, looking fearful but determined.
“I’ll call the police.” Kellin nodded, pulling his mobile out of his pocket and dialling 911 quickly.
____
That night, Kellin and Vic slipped tiredly into bed, both exhausted from speaking to the police for a good few hours. Vic immediately wrapped his arms around Kellin’s stomach, pressing his face into the crook of Kellin’s neck and breathing out contentedly.
“Are you alright?” Kellin whispered in the dark.
“My scalp still kind of hurts.” Vic responded dryly.
“You know what I mean, Vic.” Kellin rolled his eyes, but kissed the top of Vic’s head anyway.
“I dunno.” Vic shrugged. “I was scared, but now he’s actually in prison, and there’ll be another restraining order here as well, so I’ve kind of got nothing to be afraid of.”
“Well, if you’re sure...” Kellin said.
“I’m fine, Kellin. Thank you.” Vic added.
“I wasn’t going to stand there and watch him hurt you, was I?” Kellin snorted.
“I suppose not.” Vic sighed playfully, leaning up to kiss Kellin once on the cheek. “Good night, Kellin.”
“Night, baby.”
Kellin slept easily that night, for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. In truth, it had maybe been just over a couple of weeks, but the fear he had felt for Vic’s life had felt like an eternity. And Kellin just prayed that he would never have to go through that again, because he couldn’t bear even the thought of losing the greatest thing he ever had. And that was just what Vic was, something that Kellin never thought was possible for him to have, but now that it was his, he was never going to let go.