"Dad, I-I can explain!" Trent shouted as his dad stomped over to us.

"Explain what? Unless you're going to tell me I didn't just see you in bed with another boy I don't want to fucking hear it!" Mr. Rodriguez shouted as he balled his fist, swinging at Trent but just narrowly missing and falling over from the momentum. He was drunk.

"Dad, you're drunk! Can we talk about this in the morning? What are you even doing home?" I looked at the clock on Trent's nightstand, it was 3 am. His dad wasn't supposed to be home for a while.

"It wasn't busy, there were two doctors, I wasn't needed. So I went for some drinks before coming home to find you sleeping with another boy. God your whore mother really fucked you up," he slurred.

"Don't say that." Trent spat.

"How else do you explain this? My son, a fucking fairy?" I was still cowering behind Trent, who was shaking with rage rather than fear as his father kept on yelling. I was just praying for this to be over soon.

"Look, dad can we talk about this later? Maybe when you're sober?"

"No! What you can do is take your faggy boyfriend and get the hell out of my house!"

"Dad," Trent pleaded.

"I said out!"

"T-Trent come on," I stuttered.

"You shut your mouth, boy!" His father shouted at me, causing me to whimper as I shrunk behind Trent.

"Don't fucking talk to him!" Trent shouted, standing up and squaring up to his father. His father just laughed in his face and shoved him away.

"I'll talk to whoever I want to in my damn house, especially unwanted guests. Now you get this queer out of my house." He moved towards where I was still sitting on the bed, as I backed up as far as I could to try to get away from him. I was in the corner, practically sitting on Trent's nightstand, hands covering my face to protect myself from whatever his father was about to.

"Don't touch him!" Trent shouted and I hear a fist collide with a face. There was a scuffle and I just kept my eyes shut tight, afraid to look and see Trent getting beat. After a few minutes the noises stopped, and I was quietly sniffling to myself, still afraid to look.

"Grayson, baby," Trent whispered, I looked up and he was in front of me, a black eye forming and busted lip. "Come on grab your bag, let's go," He grabbed my hand and I followed him up. He grabbed a sweatshirt and some shoes, and I grabbed my stuff before we headed out of his room. I glanced back and saw his dad lying on the floor unconscious.

"Trent, is he?"

"He'll be fine, he was so drunk he just passed out after a couple of hits." We ran out of the house and to his truck. Trent threw on his hoodie and shoes as we walked. He handed me his phone as he started driving, "can you call Brayden and ask if we can go to his place?"

"I'm sure we can go to my house my parents won't-"

"Please, no. I don't want your parents to know about this," he begged.

"But Trent!"

"Grayson, if your parents find out they're going to call the cops. I'm 18 in a week, then I can leave."

"Where will you go? With what money?"

"I have a decent amount of savings, my mom left whatever she had to me in her will, and my dad's been putting money in an account for me for years, it was supposed to be for college. I'm going to move in with Brayden, we've already worked this out."

"And when the fuck were you going to tell me?" I shouted, taken aback by the anger in my own voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even think to mention it to you, this has been our plan since he got his place. Can you please call him?"

"Fine," I sighed and unlocked his phone. I found Brayden's number and called him.

"Dude what the fuck it's like 4 am?"

"It's Grayson," I said.

"Where's Trent? Is he okay, what's wrong?"

"Can we come over?"

"His dad found out, didn't he?" He asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Of course, come on over."

"Thanks, see you soon," I said and then hung up. I threw Trent's phone in the cup holder as he drove, chain smoking cigarettes.

"Why are you mad?" He asked.

"Because you didn't even think to tell me you were planning on moving out of your house in a week!"

"I was honestly hoping I wouldn't have to. I thought my dad might come around eventually. But after that, after he went after you, I can't stay there."

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling guilty that he had to leave his home because of me.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he took my hand in his and squeezed it gently. "I knew this could happen; I knew what he might do if he ever found out." He took a long drag of his cigarette, placing his hand that was holding mine on the wheel and gripping it tightly. "I should have never... FUCK!" He shouted.

"Trent..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I know you don't like the yelling."

"It's okay, I know you're upset."

"It was a mistake to have you stay over, I knew it was risky, I knew he could have come home like that. God he could have really hurt you baby, I'm so sorry I put you in danger like that." His grip on the wheel tightened and he lit another cigarette.

"Trent, please calm down, you're about to break your steering wheel."

"I'm fine, I'm calm," He said, adjusting his grip on the wheel.

"It's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault but your dad's. You didn't know he'd be home early. Why would you think the ER would be dead on a Friday night? Yeah, I'm shaken up. But I'm fine. He didn't hurt me."

"But he could have. I never would have forgiven myself if he..." his voice trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence.

"But he didn't. It's no use dwelling on the 'what if's.'"

"I know, I'm trying not to, I just can't help but focus on the negative," he sighed.

"Force yourself to think of the positives. No one was seriously hurt, we have a place to go, maybe things will be different when your dad is sober."

"Ha, fat chance," he laughed as he parked in front of Brayden's apartment building. He texted him to let him know we were there before we headed to the door.

"Hey man," Brayden said as he let us in, pulling Trent into a tight hug as soon as we stepped into the lobby. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I will be."

"Hey Gray, how are you handling this?"

"I've been through worse," I told him honestly. He didn't try to hug me, and I was grateful. We headed up to his apartment, and I was shocked when he opened the door and Nat was sitting at the kitchen island. She was biting her nails and look anxiously in the doorway, but her face lit up when she saw us.

"Grayson!" She ran over tackled me into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She cried.

"I'm fine don't worry! Since when are you and Brayden playing house?" I raised an eyebrow at her. She blushed and hit my arm. "Ouch! Hey it was just a question!"

"We are not playing house! I was just spending the night is all, kind of like you were doing with your boyfriend!"

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm glad to see you happy."

"So, Trent, need me to make space for you?" Brayden asked as we all sat on the couch.

"I don't know man; I'm hoping he comes around."

"Do you think he could?"

"Maybe? He was super wasted when he caught us which only made things worse. If he was sober maybe we could talk. But he's always a hard ass no matter what."

"What were you doing when he found you?" Brayden's eyes were wide with shock.

"Oh my god we were just sleeping you pervert!" Trent rolled his eyes and I blushed wildly next to Trent.

"Then why's your boy blushing?"

"Because you're being an asshole!" Trent threw a pillow across the room at him.

"I'm only teasing," Brayden threw his hands up defensively.

"Yeah well you know you shouldn't."

"Sorry, Grayson."

"It's okay," I muttered.

"Well, I know it's after four am, but the guest bed is all made up if you guys want to try to get some sleep."

"Yeah, I think we should." Trent said as he stood up. He reached his hand out for mine and I took it and followed him down the hall to Brayden's spare room. We dropped our stuff and climbed into bed, cuddling up into each other.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Like shit," he laughed. "Like my whole world just came crashing down around me."

"I know how you feel," I whispered as I brushed his hair from his face.

"Your parents accepted you."

"Yeah, they did. But I felt how you're feeling now the first night h-he assaulted me. It was like everything I had known was turned upside down, my life as I knew it ended."

"That's exactly how I feel. How do you make it stop?"

"Time, support from those who love you."

"Well, if I have you supporting me, I think I'll be alright."

"You'll always have me," I said, kissing his nose before pulling him into me. He smiled and closed his eyes, I did the same and soon we had both drifted off to sleep, hoping for the promise of a better day ahead.