Numbers.

{ A/N: I'm updating again tonight, so yeah. And I didn't proofread this so it might suck anus but I'm sorry. }

*Oli's P.O.V*

Kellin and I remained in the attic for what seemed like hours, although I'm sure it had only been minutes. We had been talking for awhile, and all of the commotion downstairs hadn't ceased either.

"Favorite color?" I ask, leaning against the wall. I was hoping that I might be able to get a sense of what they were shouting about, but it sounded fuzzy and I couldn't make anything out of it.

"Yellow, obviously." He chuckles bitterly, and bites his lip.

"What's up with that? I know it's probably something deep-rooted, but I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time together." I shrug, smiling at him so he knows he can trust me. Well, at least I hope he does.

He nods. "I know we will be. And I'll tell you. But," Oh fucking hell, there's a catch. "You have to tell me why you have so many tattoos after."

My heart drops, but I ignore it and nod anyway. Sometimes you have to get past your discomforts if you want to help others.

"Alright, well I have obsessive compulsive disorder. So I have rituals, obsessions and, uh, compulsions. That's why I have to do the things I do, or my head doesn't shut up." Kellin says quietly. He looks up at me through his eyelashes, like he expected me to freak out. But I didn't.

I smiled instead.

"What?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows. God, he looks so confused. "You aren't gonna yell at me?"

"Why would I do that?" I question, crossing my legs in front of me. "You can't help it. I get it."

He raises his eyebrows again. "You get it? Anyway, tattoos. Tell me, please?"

"They're coverups." I reply, as easily as I can without sounding mental.

"Coverups of what?" He asks, crawling closer to me. He takes my arm in his hands and studies it closely. Luckily, the light in here is dim.

"Scars." I answer shyly, feeling like a total piece of shit when I see his smile fall.

"Oh, Oli." Kellin frowns and rests his head on my shoulder. "What are we supposed to do about...the guys though?" I was glad he sensed that I didn't want to talk about it, so I continued on with our conversation.

"I don't know...we wait, I guess." I shrug the best I can with him on my shoulder.

"Wait for what? Knowing Vic, and he's my husband so I know him pretty well, he won't stop until Mike apologizes." Kellin sighs, rolling his eyes at the thought of the Fuentes' stubbornness.

"And me, being Mike's boyfriend, I know that he won't apologize." I tell him, shaking my head. Things are too hard.

"I didn't know you were Mike's boyfriend! Why did I think Josh was dating him? But I suppose that does explain all those awful bruises on you." Kellin says thoughtfully, staring at me with a concerned expression on his face.

"They're not that bad, right?" I ask, reaching my free arm up to touch my temple, and I wince at the contact.

Kellin nods in understanding. "They're pretty bad. And big, too. How much does he do it? I mean you must be very tough to-"

He continues to talk, and although I don't mean to, I zone out. My mind trails off to the fact that the yelling has gotten even closer, and it hits me that they're in the bedroom.

"Kellin," I interrupt him, even though he's in the middle of a sentence. "They're in the bedroom."

"T-They are?" Kellin stutters. "I...I knew they were getting closer but I d-didn't think t-they'd come in here."

"It's okay, I just-"

"Tell me where he is!" Someone shouts, and I automatically recognize the voice as Mike's. The sound of glass breaking echoes up the staircase and the walls shake as someone's fists pound on them. It was killing me to hear Mike so upset, and everyone making a fuss over me. So I decided to end it. I had to end it. For the safety and well being of Kellin, Vic and Josh, I was going to go home with my dictator.

"Kellin, I'm going down there." I tell him, holding my breath as I wait for his response. He was going to put up a fight. I was sure of it.

"No!" He exclaims, gawking at me with wide eyes. "You're staying with me! I won't let you go!"

"Kellin, I'm serious. I have to go." I say, struggling to get out of the vice grip he has on my arm.

"I just want you to be safe." He says, eyes welling up with tears as he lets go of me. "You c-can't leave y-you're the only one wh-who understands me!"

"Hey, calm down, sweetheart. I'm going to be okay." I assure. It broke my heart to know I was lying to him, but it had to be done for the better. "You can call me all the time, and I'm sure I'll see you if I ever visit Vic, okay?"

He sniffles, but nods nonetheless. "Please f-fight back. Be s-strong and don't l-let him touch y-you."

"Why?" I question, leaning in to hug him.

He wraps his skinny arms around me, and whispers to me. "I want you safe. And if you hesitate to fight back, Josh won't."

"What does Josh have to do with it?" I ask pulling away with a very confused expression on my face.

"Because Josh will put him in the ground if he lays a hand on you again." He says, biting his lip again and looking over at the stairs, frowning at the escalated noise.

I shake my head quickly. "Josh isn't like that."

"He is when he needs to be. Have you seen the way he looks at you?" Kellin asks, a smile lighting up his face again. It made me feel better to know he has hope, even if I don't.

I shake my head again.

"You need to open your eyes, Oli." He tells me, and this time, he's the one who shakes his head.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

As I made my way down the stairs, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. I couldn't believe this was happening. I couldn't believe that I was walking back into the arms of someone who would purposely hurt me. But I was.

I sighed as quietly as I could, and unlocked the door. I crawled through after moving the wooden panel, and things seemed to get even more heated than they already were. Everyone was yelling all sorts of profanities, and things were being thrown around the room. Kellin is going to freak out when he sees the mess my boyfriend created.

I stand up, since the closet was quite roomy, and shut Kellin's little door. I place the panel back over it and take a deep breath. Then, I open the closet door.

Right after it opens, Josh looks straight to me, an alarmed look on his face. Then, Mike takes his opportunity to swing, his fist landing right on Josh's cheek bone.