to keep.

The sudden blinding light, though expected, and as much as he tried to prepare for it, was still overwhelming -- Duncan cringed, wincing in pain. He tried to lift his hands to protect his eyes, before remembering they were zip tied behind his back, resulting in him just rolling onto his stomach, bumping into the edge of the trunk.

“I’m calling the cops,” he said flatly.

Simon laughed. “Nice to see you too, mate!” He reached down, rolling Duncan onto his back. “You look like you rolled out of a dumpster!”

“Almost found him in one,” Lewis replied, appearing on Simon’s left.

Duncan frowned. “I thought I saw something in there, alright?”

“Ohhh yeah,” Simon hummed, reaching down, wrapping his arms around the blonde. “You’re coming back in. We’ve made a whole dungeon for you in the basement. Never going to see the sun again.” The short man let out a huff as he lifted up Duncan onto his shoulder, almost a foot taller than him. “Have you lost weight?”

“Oh, just you wait,” Duncan replied flatly. “Eventually my boss will notice, and then how will you explain yourself to the cops?”

“He definitely has lost weight,” Lewis replied, closing the trunk behind them. “When’s the last time you had a proper meal?”

“Do we still have the death penalty in Bai-jin?” the blonde inquired, ignoring the question. “If you let me go now, I won’t even report you.”

“He’ll have one soon,” Simon replied, cheerily. “While you were Duncan hunting, I made a nice, hearty stew.” He shifted his hand to slap Duncan’s ass. “We’ll fatten you back up in no time, friend!”

“Ah, add sexual assault to the list of crimes,” Duncan said, tone still flat. “Maybe they’ll bring back the death penalty just for you.”

“Shut up,” Lewis snapped. He opened up the front door, holding it to the side as Simon walked in. Immediately upon entry, Duncan could smell the aforementioned stew - it smelled really good, actually. He wanted to throw up. His stomach growled.

Simon chuckled. “That’s the attitude I like to see!” he said.

Lewis let out a sigh. While Simon was his usual cheery, blindingly supportive-self, he could tell Lewis was pretty pissed. Duncan shifted a bit uncomfortably in Simon’s arms. It wasn’t fair for Lewis to do all this - to go out of his way, comb the streets for days until he found Duncan, and then kidnap him, only to act put out by it. Duncan used to come willingly, it was easy enough to give him the slip anyways, but -

Leaving gets harder, and he couldn’t take the look in Lewis’ eyes anymore.

Seems Lewis’ solution then, was to be more aggressive about it. He really doesn’t give up, does he?

The usual office door was opened, and in the next few moments Duncan was flopped face-first onto a bed, bouncing off the sheets. This used to be a cot - Lewis upgraded? Duncan pulled his face out of the sheets, glancing around the room. The desk and computer that used to be in here, with a cot in the corner for him, was now gone - instead a wardrobe now sat there, and a little seating area with a throw rug. It looked like a guest room. Duncan frowned. Was this supposed to get him to stay? Because it just made him feel like leaving more. Guilt burned at his fingertips.

“Cor, innit?” Simon laughed, slapping his hands together as if dusting them off. “Are we untying him?”

“Not yet,” Lewis said, folding his arms.

Simon nodded knowingly. “Right, I’m off to finish dinner,” he said, before standing on his tip-toes to give Lewis a quick peck on the cheek, and walking out.

The two stood in silence.

“Where’d you put the desks?” Duncan asked, face still in the blankets.

Lewis flipped him over, glaring down at him. “Stop it. Look, I’ve made this whole room for you-”

“I see that.”

“--and if that’s not enough I don’t know what is. Simon loves you. I -” He shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment, before reopening them, looking back down at the blonde man. “I love you, Duncan, and you will be more of a burden to me out there-” he said, pointing out the window, “then you will ever be to me in here.”

He sat down on the side of the bed, his face softening slightly. “So just. Stay. Stop putting me through this shit. I don’t care how much you fucking hate yourself -- I’m not fucking letting you die out there.”

Duncan looked away, face flushing. He really… laid it all out, and yet… His mind was still swarming with negative thoughts, rebuttals, stop trying to save me, idiot, you have a perfect life, it’d only be better without me in it. He sighed. “You can’t--”

He was cut off by Lewis slapping him. “Shut up. Shut the fuck up. The only thing I want to hear you say is yes. You’ll stay. And thank you. And you’re going to be lovely to my husband, because my husband is a lovely fucking man, Jones.”

Duncan looked back up at him, feeling his cheek turn red. Only Duncan could manage to get kidnapped, beaten up, and held hostage by his best friend. He swallowed.

“Yes. I’ll stay. Thank you, Lewis.”

“Good.” Lewis rolled him back onto his stomach, pulling a pair of scissors out of his pocket he clearly had kept there to release Duncan from the zip tie, which he did. Duncan immediately pulled his arms apart, pulling himself into an upright position, and rolling his shoulders, relieved to finally be able to move his arms.

“Don’t get used to it. I’m handcuffing you to that bed,” Lewis warned, before standing up. “Make yourself at home.”

“Thanks,” Duncan said, watching the man walk out of the room. Once he was gone, Duncan tentatively stood up, wandering around to… well, make himself at home, he supposed. It really didn’t seem like the room had been tailor made for Duncan, actually, which somehow made him feel a little better - generic interior design magazine-style furniture and layout, like most of the house. Despite Lewis’ words, it really was driving him crazy - where did they move the desks? Lewis was really the only one who used the computer - maybe they got rid of one. Mmmm.

A bark caught his ear and he looked down, watching Mandrew, Simon and Lewis’ corgi, run up to him, tail wagging so hard his entire ass gyrated. Duncan chuckled, leaning down and offering his hand to be subjected to sopping wet kisses, before petting him with the other hand. Mandrew panted happily, turning in little circles and continually licking the man. This corgi is strategically placed emotional blackmail, you can’t fool him.

In true dog form, Mandrew barked again, something out the window catching his attention, causing him to jump onto the chair, leaning against the windowsill. Duncan stood back up, glancing out, vaguely wondering what he was looking at.

Maybe don’t be visible through the window, Jones. Right. He took a step back, sitting down on the bed.

Mmm. Nice bed. He laid back down on it, staring up at the ceiling. All those months of sleeping in the backseat of a car had really fucked with his back, ugh - the breadth and firmness of the mattress, the softness of the sheets…

Everything in this house was kind’ve perfect, huh - minus the garage, where Simon did woodwork, and Lewis had long since forgiven keeping that mess under control - everything was always neat and tidy, there was always food out, there was always a cute dog eager to greet you. The lawn had a beautifully maintained garden, a gazebo out back. Kind’ve crazy to think about how quickly Lewis and Simon had… started a life together.

Maybe even a life he could’ve had.

You’ll never even come close to this, Jones.

He could keep a house clean, sure, he kept his family home sparkling and full of all the different attributes that he had just described with Lewis’ house. But it would never be the same, never be equal, or even comparable - the love that was everywhere here, in the halls, the garden, even the garage, in Simon, in Lewis, in Mandrew --

The love was everywhere here, and it was nowhere within him.

You’ll never have this.

As if he could smell negative thoughts, Duncan’s spiral was broken by a big sloppy kiss across the face, an excited Mandrew panting down at him. Duncan wiped his face off, sitting upright on the bed once again. That’s probably on him for leaving himself vulnerable. He felt like he never did really understand dogs.

Stay…

Stay for what? Duncan absentmindedly pet Mandrew as he looked around the room. A happy couple and the depressed alcoholic they keep at the end of the hallway. A PTA meeting with a hobo in it. Adopting a 20 year old for you and your husband to raise. Charity case. Embarrassing. He stood up and closed the blinds, ensuring no one in this beautiful neighbourhood would see him. All you ever are is a blight to perfection, Jones, a basketcase, a liability --

If I run this time, that has to be it. That has to be the final straw, right? One last good and final heartbreak. To give me all this and to still throw it away. No one could keep going after that. That’d be it. I’d be free.

He drummed his fingers on the windowsill.

To give me all this, and to still throw it away. To be such a monster to the only person who cares about me. I don’t know if I could -- if I could even hurt him like that. When I’m this terrible, when I’ve caused this much grief, after everything he’s done-- He rubbed his wrist with the other hand, frowning at the pain, and the red welts decorating his skin. The only thing I could do to make it up to him, is to make him happy.

To have a life worth living… It was unimaginable. Just long enough… until he’s satisfied? He can’t keep me here forever, right…

Ah, right, there was a closet in here. Wonder if it was still used for storage, or if Lewis had the nerve to clear it out for him. Duncan casually opened it up, peeking inside.

As the light filled the space, he could see Lewis certainly had emptied it out -- for the most part, anyways, there was nothing left in there except for an easel, a stool, and a briefcase, presumably full of paint --

“Duncan?” Lewis said, pushing the door open as he stepped back into the room. “Dinner’s ready, though I have something if a full meal is too much for you right now, some--”

Lewis cut himself off, realizing he was standing in an empty room. He looked around helplessly, dread slowly creeping in. No, no, no way--

“...Duncan?”