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"You look great." Kelly comment from the couch as Matt walked into the living room. He was wearing a dark grey button up and jeans, casual but still dressed up quite nicely.Today was Sunday and that meant dinner at the Casey's. "Thanks." Matt smiled happily as he attempted to do up the buttons on the cuff. "Give me a hand?" He asked sheepishly as he stretch out his wrists to Kelly. Kelly grinned up at the blonde as he stood, making the couple of strides it took to reach Casey. "Of course." He murmured as he began to do up the buttons. He completed the task quickly and couldn't resist giving Matt a lingering once over, admiring how handsome the guy really did look."Here." Matt mumbled softly as he took the wedding ring off his finger and slid it onto Kelly's own ring finger. It was a routine they went through every Sunday that they weren't on shift. Of course, Matt's family had no idea that Matt was married, let alone in a relationship. He knew for a fact that they wouldn't approve of the fact he was with a guy.In his younger days, he'd always strive for as much approval as he could get. Of course, his parents had definitely not supported his career path, to them, firefighting wasn't a successful job. They'd tried to pressure him into becoming a lawyer or a doctor, not caring what he wanted to do or what would make him happy. That had been a turning point in Matt's life though. Was he going to please his parents? Or do something that he would love doing?Matt never had one regret about his decision to become a firefighter, just like he had never regretted falling in love with Kelly. Matt had no shame about being with him, but that didn't mean he wanted to tell his parents about him. So he went to those Sunday dinners by himself, suffering through the tense, awkward atmosphere of being a disappointment, only to do it again the next week.Kelly pushed Matt's ring a little closer to his own at the base of his finger and spun them around. "You know we're going to have to tell them some day." The dark-haired lieutenant spoke softly, he knew this was a bit of a touchy subject. As much as Matt had become independent from his parents expectations, he had a hard time dealing with the anger and disappointment they brought into his life."Do we though?" Matt let out a long exhale, looking into Kelly's eyes. He'd much rather just stay in, order take-out, and crash on the couch with Kelly."It's been two years, Matt. We've been married over two years and your family still think's you're single." Kelly found Matt's hands by his sides and held them in his own.Matt shrugged and glanced to the floor. "I know... But it's- ..it's better this way.""It's weighing on you though, isn't it." It was more of a statement than a question, more of an observation than a judgement.The blonde nodded hesitantly, "A little.""You'll feel better if you get that off your chest, baby boy.""I.. I'll think about it..." Kelly looked at him skeptically, "I promise," Matt assured with a smile.Kelly nodded and pulled Matt into a long embrace. "You better get going," Kelly murmured against the side of Matt's head. "Or you'll be late.""Ughhn." Matt groaned loudly, "I just wanna stay home.""Then stay." Kelly teased, knowing that he was going to go anyways."Can't." The blonde muttered in distain, wishing he wasn't under the obligation to go to the stupid dinner. If it was up to Kelly, Matt would't be going to his family's house for supper. Like, ever. Because when the poor guy got home, he was always such a mess. His family, especially his parents, knew how to get inside his head. They knew which buttons to push in order to break him, to make him feel like a failure, a complete waste of oxygen. Kelly would never stop picking up the pieces because he loved Matt so damn much. But at the same time, Matt didn't deserve to keep getting hurt like this. The likeliest scenario of Matt coming out was that his parents would take it as horribly and they'd never talk to him again, but maybe that wasn't the worst thing. That was Kelly's opinion anyways. He'd of course never say that aloud, he didn't want to hurt Matt's feelings.Matt pulled away from Kelly reluctantly and began making his way to the front door. Kelly followed him, and leaned against the wall as he watched the blonde pull his shoes on. "Oh, can I take your car?" Matt asked when he'd finished lacing up. "My truck's nearly out of gas.""Sure." Kelly replied, tossing him the keys off the shelf in the hall."Thanks." Matt grinned catching them midair, he was rather unenthused to be leaving but that wouldn't stop him from catching that contagious smile that was on Kelly's face. He turned and just had his knob on the door when Kelly came up to him and stopped him. "What, no goodbye kiss?"Matt chuckled and swept Kelly into his arms, their lips meeting happily. Inklings of smiles still on their faces as the world froze around them and their mouths became one. "Remind me again why I'm leaving?" Matt whispered against Kelly as he paused, their foreheads pressed together, eyes tightly closed."Because your parents are expecting you. And Matthew Casey never disappoints his parents." Kelly shook his head jokingly, smiling when Matt rolled his eyes and gave him a the middle finger."Love you." Matt chuckled fondly, opening the door."Love you." Kelly replied as he watched Matt walk out and to the car. "Drive safe!" He called out with a wave."Don't worry," Matt laughed as he opened the car door, "I won't hurt your baby.""Perfect! Try to keep the car safe too," Kelly winked, watching until Matt disappeared out of view before heaving out a sigh and heading back inside.~Matt's heart felt all tangled up as he pulled into his parent's driveway. He had half a mind just to turn around because he knew what would happen, he knew how it would turn out. But family was family and he had to make an appearance, whether he liked it or not.He stepped in the door and was immediately hit the smell of food. The food was never really that great here and he wasn't sure why they bothered to cook. It was typically either overcooked or simply burned into oblivion, but he was expected to eat it, so he did, even if it looked like a plate of tar. Did you know you can burn soup? Yeah, neither did Matt until last week. It was the strangest thing, that black liquid that tasted like blended up ashes and coal from a week-old campfire. It had a distinctly chalky texture, and it made Matt feel like he was going to projectile vomit. Thankfully he was able to hold that in until he made it home, but it was a close one."Matthew!" His name was called from the dinner table in the dinning room. It was his mother, her voice giving away how unimpressed she was. "You're 5 minutes late!"Matt took a deep breath as he untied his shoes, kicking them off and setting them by the door. "Hello, mom." He replied as he entered the dinning room, "Dad, Christie." Matt greeted with a nod of his head. There was a man sitting between Christie and his Mom, someone he'd never seen before."Hi, I don't think we've had the pleasure. My name's Matt." The blonde reached out a hand towards the unfamiliar man. He looked about the same age as Matt, slicked back brown hair and dark green eyes that looked anything but friendly. "Carter. Damien Carter." He was wearing a fancy tuxedo that put Matt's nice outfit to shame. Damien didn't bother to shake Matt's hand, just gave him a subtle nod before switching his gaze. Matt's eyebrow quirked in slight confusion as he retracted his arm and took his seat. "Damien was at last weeks dinner too. If you would have bothered to show up you would have met him earlier." Matt's mother said disdainfully."I was on shift, remember?" Nancy sighed in annoyance, "So? You should have been here. Is work more important than your family then?""No but-""No buts.." His father interjected, "Your mother's right. You should have been here."Damien glanced up sceptically, "What is it, you uh.. do, Matt?""I'm a firefighter.""Oh." He looked condescendingly at Matt. "That's, uh.. nice."Matt groaned inwardly, the pompous ass. "And yourself?" He tried to plaster on his best fake smile."I'm a lawyer." Damien announced boastfully, "Top of my class, best in my league." He gave a firm nod."He is so good at what he does." Christie swooned and intertwined their fingers."He is so hardworking and determined," Nancy added, "You should really be more like him, Matthew." "I-" Matt started but he was quickly interrupted by his father."I agree." Gregory nodded gruffly, "You could really learn a thing about being a real man from Damien here.""A real man?" Matt questioned in disbelief. Yeah, because running into burning buildings to save people's lives, that wasn't what constituted as being a real man.Christie guffawed loudly, "Yeah, have you looked yourself in the mirror lately? Let me just say, standards of men are not what they used to be.""Exactly! Plus, I mean running around squirting water everywhere, that's no help to anyone!" His mother shook her head, "You know, Matthew, it's not too late to go back to school."Matt was about to reply but his mother quickly stood, "I'll start registering you for some courses, just give me your credit card, Matthew. Anyways, I've got to go check the food." The blonde-haired lieutenant wondered why she was bothering to look at the food now, he could already smell the charred remains of whatever was burning on the stove. Nancy soon returned with a steaming pot of some unrecognizable casserole that was mostly black and a little red and noodley. Matt guessed it was some kind of pasta, well, it looked like it used it be anyway.Matt's father served it out, he gave a heaping scoop each to his wife, Christie, Damien, and he gave the last scoop to himself. Matt's plate stayed empty and nobody said anything, nobody really cared or noticed. Of course, the blonde didn't really care, the food likely tasted as horrible as it looked, but still. It gave him flashbacks to growing up, when he'd go to bed hungry most nights just because he'd done something wrong or got anything less than an A on an assignment. It didn't feel good to be treated like he was nothing more than a dust bunny under the couch.Matt sat silently, sipping on a glass of lukewarm water and watching as his family ate."So Matthew, are you seeing anyone yet?" His mother asked. The age old question, the one she asked him nearly every Sunday.Matt thought about saying no like he always did, but something about him and Kelly's conversation earlier clicked and before he knew it he was giving an answer he regretted the second after said it. "Yep."His mother dropped her fork in surprise, her jaw dropping. "You are? Why didn't you tell me?!" She gasped much too loudly, he eyes wide."I just did-" "What's her name?" Nancy interrupted before Matt could further explain.Matt didn't bother correcting his mother, the idea of telling her it was actually a man just about scared him shitless. "Uh.. Kelly.""Hmm. Not the worst name I suppose... You must bring her to dinner next week.""Well, I don't kno-"Matt's father interrupted, "Listen to your mother.""Fine." Matt conceded with a sigh."Good." Nancy nodded harshly, "Is she successful?"Matt sighed inwardly, still too scared to tell them the truth, but knowing that avoiding the question was definitely not going to happen. "Kelly is great, treats me well, I'm happy.""Well we don't care about that, is she successful or not?" His mother barked angrily, frustrated at not getting a straight answer. Well, little did she know, there was nothing straight about her son."Kelly is very successful, one of the highest ranked at work."Matt felt like he was going to puke, and it wasn't just because of the repulsive-smelling food. He was stressed beyond words, he felt claustrophobic as he shrunk inside himself. His mother smiled, "Oh, good... Honestly, we never thought you'd make anything out of yourself, Matthew.""Well, he hasn't, Nancy," Gregory laughed gruffly, "But he's found a woman who's at least worth something. Hell knows how he managed that..." He trailed off with a hefty shrug."This isn't a joke, right, Matthew?" Nancy questioned skeptically, a condescending glare shot his way by everyone in the room. "She's real, right?""Oh, trust me. Kelly's very real." Matt murmured softly, staring down at his half empty cup."In real life or in your dreams?" Christie joked, snorting like a pig as she chuckled. Everyone soon joined in, and soon Matt had four people laughing in his face. "Both." Matt smiled softly, more to himself than anyone else. Kelly was the man of his dreams, that was for damn sure. His family sort of looked at him weird, like that was the stupidest thing they'd ever heard. Matt sort of shrunk further down into himself."Can't believe you could even manage having standards, Matt. I have no idea who the hell would be attracted to you." Christie remarked, laughing repugnantly.Matt suddenly felt very self-conscious of himself. Maybe Kelly didn't find him attractive and he was just pretending, maybe he actually looked like shit. Matt didn't reply, just kinda stared down at the stained, dingy tablecloth. "Oh, stop being so sensitive, Matthew." His father spoke in disgust as he watch Matt's eyes become a little more moist than they had been when he got here. "Honestly, you need to man up. You're so weak, no woman wants that. Nobody cares about your little feelings, so stop acting like pansy."Matt straightened up a little bit and mentally tried to distance himself from his feelings. It was no easy task."You know, Matt. If you ever need any advice on being a real man, ask Damien." His mother was the one who suggested that, a grimace on he face as she tried to look at her son. He was well below the expectations she had had for him, he was a disappointment. Now that Christie was dating such a nice man, why couldn't Matt be like her, or Damien?Matt continued not to say anything, but that wasn't taken very well by the family. What was there to say?"Ask him!" Nancy whispered loudly, as if Damien wasn't there.Matt pulled his hands onto his lap. He immediately reached to the finger where he wedding ring usually was, but soon remembered it wasn't there. He usually liked to spin it around when he began to feel anxious, a habit he'd built over the past couple of years?"What?" He asked his mother, very unsure and wanting nothing more than to crawl under a rock and sleep forever.Nancy shook her head in annoyance, a big frown on her face. "Ask Damien what you can do to make yourself less of a disappointment." It wasn't the first time he'd been called a disappointment by her, and it probably wouldn't be the last, but it stung his heart just as much. Kelly always did say that Matt wore his heart on his sleeve, he wasn't wrong.Matt's father butted in sleazily, "That's a great idea. You should do that, Matthew. You could surely learn a thing or two." Matt froze and he just couldn't deal. He felt broken and unsure, and he needed to leave. But his legs wouldn't carry him away. "NOW!" His father yelled, spurring him into a field of anxiety. But he would do as his parents said because that's just who he was."Any suggestions for me, Damien?" Matt was embarrassed at his own voice, so small and defenceless. "Well, I mean you could start with the way you dress. I mean, you look like a slob." Damien stared at him disapprovingly. "Maybe work on getting a better job, I mean firefighting?"Damien kept talking but Matt stopped listening. He couldn't bear it. Everyone was right, he was such a disappointment and he knew it, he didn't deserve anything more than a cardboard box.Matt suffered through two more hours of dinner before the talking finally died down, "I've got to go." He squeaked, standing up and pushing his chair to the table.He made to leave but was stopped by a strong hand grabbing his arm hard enough to stop the blood flow. "Thank your mother for the lovely food, Matthew." His father demanded, angry that Matt hadn't done that earlier. Matt wanted to grunt in frustration, let them all know he hadn't had a bite of food because everyone else had eaten it and he didn't get any. But he was too tired to fight. "Thanks for the food, Mom." "You better bring Kelly next week. And dress nicer, I agree with Damien, you look like you just came off the streets." She eyed him wearily, unimpressed.Matt didn't reply, just walked away because he knew if he stayed just a few seconds longer, he'd be having a breakdown and he'd start crying. It happened every week, every single fucking time that he went to their house. He was just so damn broken, his family was breaking him and what the hell was he even supposed to do about that? He couldn't just cut them out of his life, he was too loyal. And he couldn't stop coming over for dinner because that would be rude.Matt didn't even bother lacing up his shoes, just pulled them on and quickly ran to the car. He quickly got in and locked the door behind him. Matt looked down to his hands, they were shaking. He was in no state to drive, but Matt knew he needed to get the hell out of here, so he turned the key and started the ignition.
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What the hell was he thinking? Casey was anxiously wringing his hands, the car was still in park, he knew he shouldn't yet. He was too.. broken. But he had to get out of this place, and soon. He pulled out his phone from his pocket with fumbling fingers. Unfortunately he accidentally dropped it to the floor because his hands were shaking so badly. Matt rushed to find it on the floor, when he finally found it he picked it up and scrolled through his contacts. There was only one person who could make this better.It only rang twice before he answered. "Hey? You okay?"Matt shook his head as the tears started flowing, "No." He murmured quietly."I'm so sorry, baby boy. I'll come and get you okay?" Kelly spoke softly in a way that began to calm Matt, soothing him from the inside out."No, it's-... I just..""Are you safe to drive?" Kelly asked carefully."No, but I-"Kelly interrupted gently, "Then it's settled, okay? I'll call a cab and then I'll drive us home.""Okay..." Matt tried his best to hold back a sob. "I'm just going to get to the corner store at the end of the road... I can't be here, Sev."Severide winced at the idea of Matt driving in his state, but he reluctantly agreed because he knew it wouldn't do any good if the blonde stayed where he was. "Alright, be safe okay?""Mhmm." Matt agreed, tears streaming down his face."I'm gonna get off the phone now so you can concentrate on the road," Kelly's voice calmed him gently, "And then I'll call a cab, I'll see you in a bit, okay?""Kay..." Matt wiped away his tears with his free hand."I love you, Matthew." Kelly spoke softly. Matt used to hate it when Kelly called him that because that was what his parents always called him. But he'd slowly grew fond of it, because Kelly didn't say it in the same way his mom and dad did. Kelly said it with love and sincerity, he said it gently and it felt like home."I love you." Matt replied, wiping at his eyes again.Then the call went dead and Matt wasn't quite back to square one, more like two or three, but still. The blonde took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he put the car in reverse and carefully backed into the street.It was about a forty-five second drive to the corner store and it took Matt a couple more seconds to find a little parking space in the shadows. He shut the car off and waited for Kelly to come and get him. He felt so completely pathetic. It wasn't the first time he couldn't drive himself home after one of these damn dinners. But it never got any less embarrassing to be this weak.Though the car was off and he was done driving, Matt's hands were gripped tightly around the steering wheel; he was holding on so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Matt's chest felt like it had the weight of and elephant baring down on it. Wheezy breaths as he tried to get oxygen into his frozen lungs.Kelly arrived exactly 18 minutes and 21 seconds later. He basically threw the money at the cab driver and jumped out of the car. He seen his car with his boy in it, sitting at the back of the parking lot and he ran over. Kelly slowed down as he approached the car, not wanting to spook Matt. He gingerly opened the driver side car door and looked inside. "Hey, Matthew." Kelly's voice was nearly a whisper, but it was loud enough that he was able to get Matt's attention. "I- I tr.. I c-.. I can't-... I don't..... know.. I-.." Matt stuttered, still not quite breathing correctly, not quite able to shake himself of that crippling feeling of being so broken. "Shhhh... It's okay, I'm here now." Kelly slowly reached inside the car and began gently uncurling Matt's hands, taking them off the wheel. He gingerly reached over and clicked the seatbelt, pulling it away from Matt and letting it automatically reel itself in. "Here, step out, I got you." Kelly reached his arms out toward Matt.Slowly Matt got his legs out of the car, one by one. He took Severide's hand and let the man haul him to his feet. "Want to me to hold you?" Kelly asked softly, concern playing on his face. Matt nodded blankly, he felt like he wasn't part of his own body anymore, instead, somewhere outside of reality. Because he wasn't a real man, he wasn't attractive, he was a disappointment... And that was just the start in a long list of things that were wrong with him. And then Kelly was hugging him and holy shit he'd needed this, it felt like heaven itself, especially after the time he'd just spent in hell."I've got you, Matt." Kelly cooed tucking Matt's head against his own, his hand threading through the mop of blonde hair. A river of tears started flowing from Matt's eyes once again. Finally, he could let go. Small sobs shook Matt's body, making Kelly frown. That boy was so hurt and if Kelly wasn't so damn determined to stick by Matt's side and take care of him... Well, let's just say Kelly would have some pretty sore fists.They stayed like that for a long while, Kelly just holding Matt, Matt clinging onto Kelly like his life depended on it. "Let's go home, okay?"Matt nodded against the puddle of tears that he'd left on Kelly's shirt. Keeping an arm wrapped around Matt's back, he led the man over to the passenger side of the car and helped him into the seat.Kelly quickly rounded the car and slid into the driver side, pulling his seatbelt over his shoulder and looking over to the man beside him. He was still somewhat zoned out, his mind mulling over the dinner and over himself. He was stuck in a hamster wheel of thoughts, how he could be less of a disappointment. Kelly pulled Matt's seatbelt over him and let Matt keep thinking for a while, compartmentalize his thoughts so he'd be able to talk about it later.As Kelly drove home, he made sure to keep his eyes on the road, but he stole a glance at Matt every time he could. And as they drove into their driveway, Matt turned to look at Kelly for the first time during the car ride. "Thanks for rescuing me." He smiled a little, but it didn't reach his eyes."Hey, what are husbands for, right?" Kelly grinned, stepping out of the car and running to Matt's side so he could open the door for him. Matt laughed silently as he took Kelly's hand and let the guy help him out of the car. In his haste to leave earlier, Kelly hadn't even locked the front door, so once he turned the knob, they were in. Kelly kicked off his shoes by the door and sat himself on the couch with a sigh. "You going to come sit with me?" Kelly had a small smile on his face, hoping Matt would join.Matt nodded subtly, following him to the couch and sitting on his lap. Matt straddled Kelly and rested his hands on his shoulders."Hey," Kelly murmured, looking up into those soft blue orbs he'd gotten to completely love."Hi." Matt sighed, a hand raising from the man's shoulder to cup Kelly's cheek, thumb rubbing against the short stubble on his face. The contrast of the textures on the man's face distracted Matt from his thoughts, and the loving look he was being given made Matt's heart flutter in his chest."Tell me all about it, baby boy. What happened?" Kelly asked carefully, he knew if Matt wasn't ready to talk yet he'd say so, but he still didn't want to press the matter too much."I... I dunno..." Matt sighed heavily, his chest tightened just thinking about it. "They told me to change jobs again... Apparently I'm not a real man... Oh, and I dress like I just came from the streets..." Matt hung his head, humiliated at himself, "..Still a big disappointment." Tears began slipping gingerly down Matt's cheeks, he felt a pain deep down inside him, a fracture that couldn't be set.Kelly heart just absolutely shattered at what he was hearing and seeing. He shook his head in disbelief and his lips parted just slightly, "Matty... Oh baby." Kelly sat up straight and pulled Matt close, "C'mere..."Matt sobbed against him, "I'm sorry, I jus-.." He was interrupted by tears as his body jerked against Kelly's."No, no, don't be sorry." Kelly soothed gently, rubbing his hands up and down Matt's back. "Hey, it's alright, just let it out. I got you."Matt still tried to stop crying, he was acting so pathetic, so weak. Maybe his family was actually right, he wasn't a real man, real men don't cry. "I'm so-sorr-.." The blonde couldn't hold his voice together, he was feeling so shitty about himself, and he couldn't help it. What a waste of oxygen he was. He didn't deserve to be alive, not when he was doing so little good in the world. "No, no." Kelly was kissing the whispers into his thick blonde hair, "No, don't be sorry. Don't be sorry... And for the record, you're still not a disappointment to me...""Bu- but.." Matt pulled away slowly. He was beginning to quiet down but he was still sobbing, trying to desperately wipe at his tears as he pulled back. "They said I am.""Yeah but they don't know you like I know you."Matt shook his head as more tears continued to fall involuntarily. "They're my family, they've known me since I was born." He kinda frowned, he was thinking about his childhood."Do they know you like your apples peeled? That you love hugs and being tucked in? That you're into guys? Married to one even?" Kelly chuckled a little at that, watching as Matt's lips quirk upwards a tiny bit. "Matthew, in this entire world, I can guarantee you that I'm the person who loves you most. There's no one who loves you more than I do, it'd be impossible. So trust me, believe me, when I tell you that you're anything but a disappointment. I am so proud of you, I'm proud of the person you've become, and everything you do."Matt just leaned closer and wrapped his arms around Kelly's neck. "Thanks, Kel." He smothered his face into the man's shoulder and held on tight, he began to start feeling a little lighter. "You got it, baby boy." Kelly was closing his eyes, savouring the feeling of having Matt so close. He'd missed him so much this evening, not to mention he'd been worried completely sick. "Now, what kind of repulsive food did you eat tonight?" Kelly had meant to ask it as a joke, but when Matt didn't laugh, Kelly immediately regretted it because he suddenly realized there was more to the story. "None.""Your mom didn't cook?""She did.""How'd you get away with not eating any of it?""Didn't have to," Matt felt mostly annoyance, but he was still sad about this, "They didn't give me any.""They what?""Split it all between themselves," Matt shrugged, a weariness about him. "Didn't leave me any.""You're joking." Kelly exclaimed in disbelief, a hand instinctively reaching to Matt's thigh. It was hard to keep his cool in this moment, especially when all he wanted to do was get over to that place and beat them all senseless."It's fine..." Matt mumbled, he was exhausted. "I think I'm going to go to bed." He began to get off of Kelly's lap and was halfway to the bedroom when he felt a pair of arms wrapping around him from behind, stopping him in his tracks. Kelly's chest was pressed tightly against Matt's back as he held him still.Over the years, Kelly had discovered that physical contact was one of the best ways to calm Matt. Somehow, no matter what kind of mood Matt was in, even if he was angry at Kelly or just everything in general, Matt would always melt into Kelly's embrace."Hold up, baby boy." Kelly whispered, his arms crossed in front of Matt, locking him in. "You need to eat.""Not hungry," Matt sighed, he just wanted to go to bed and forget today ever happened.Kelly began leaving little butterfly kisses in the soft blonde hair in front of him, trailing down to his shoulders, back to his neck. "I know." He murmured softly in between kisses, "But you need to eat."Matt closed his eyes as he leaned back into Kelly, "Don't feel like it...""Matthew," Kelly cooed gently."Fine.." Matt conceded with a large exaggerated sigh. "I'll eat some beer.""You don't eat beer." Kelly laughed heartily; Matt could feel the vibrations against his back. "Plus, it's not very nourishing... Tell you what though, I'll get us both a beer, we can order pizza, and we'll eat in bed and watch a movie."Matt smiled softly. His heart still weighed heavy, but Kelly made it hard to be completely and utterly in the dumps. "Alright." "Great." Kelly grinned, turning Matt around to face him. He leaned a little closer and placed a very gentle kiss on Matt's forehead. "You pick a movie, I got everything else."Matt dragged himself over to their room and hopped up onto the bed. He barely had enough energy to move, let alone pick a movie to watch. He turned on Netflix and began browsing through the categories, aimlessly looking for something half decent.As soon as the pizza turned up, which didn't take long because the place they always ordered from was just down the street, Kelly was on his way to their room. He walked into a scene that made his heart drop, but he'd be lying if he said it wasn't expected. Matt had his knees pulled up to his chest in a way that made him appear small and fragile. He had his head in his hands as he rocked back in forth slowly, The blonde hadn't noticed Kelly walk in, so he was understandably startled to feel a pair of arms wrapping around him."Hey." Matt mumbled under his breath, leaning into the touch."Hey, baby boy," Kelly had gotten onto the bed and then he was helping Matt shuffle backwards until he was sitting against the headboard. Kelly joined him and grabbed the food from where he'd set it on the nightstand. "Eat." He smiled towards the blonde as he offered him a piece of the steaming hot pizza.Matt grabbed the piece and immediately began devouring it. He hadn't really realized how hungry he was, not when his mind was busy with everything else. Thankfully Kelly had known, it always seemed like he knew exactly what Matt needed. Kelly turned the movie on a and grabbed a piece for himself.By the halfway mark of the movie, the entire box of pepperoni pizza was wolfed down and they were feeling the warmth of their second beer seep into their bodies. Three-quarters the way of the movie brought a pee break as well as a trip to the kitchen for a glass of water. By the end of the movie, as the credits rolled, Matt's soft blue eyes were struggling to stay open. "Bedtime for you, Matt." Kelly smiled as he took in the adorable scene before him. Matt turned his head toward Kelly, eyes half lidded, and nodded. "Kay.""C'mere," Kelly slid his arms behind Matt and pulled him to the edge of the bed. The man was so exhausted he couldn't have tried to fight it if he wanted to. "I'll help you get these off." Matt sat there patiently, barely able to hold his head up, while Kelly slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt. The dark-haired man gingerly helped Matt shrug the fabric off his tense shoulders, helping him with his pants too. He pulled the heavy fabric away from the man's legs, discarding them on a heap on the floor.Kelly pulled back the sheets and guided Matt back where he belonged, cozily pushing up against his pillow. Kelly took a moment to take in the sight, smiling inwardly at the love he felt bubbling up inside of himself. He quietly slipped under the sheets on the other side of the bed, trying not to disturb Matt too much. Then, next thing Kelly knew, Matt was shuffling over and curling up to him. He rested his precious head on Kelly's chest, his blonde hair tickling the other man's neck. Matt slung an arm around Kelly as he intertwined their legs, Matt's cold feet borrowing heat from Kelly's warm ones. Kelly smiled into the darkness and wrapped an arm around his boy's back, the other arm reaching for his face, gently cupping his face, a thump running back and forth against his cheek.Matt's final thought before he fell into a deep sleep? He needed to do something about his family, not the family he was currently sharing a bed with, but the ones that were breaking him.
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Waking up in the morning was pleasant, though it was still with a weight on Matt's shoulders. The man had had a fitful sleep despite his obvious exhaustion and he tossed and turned for hours on end. That was, until Kelly had begun tracing Matt's bare back with the tips of his fingers and hummed a song to him until finally the poor guy fell into a light sleep. Apparently that had been the magic key to soothing Matt tonight. The thing with Matt was, he never really had a surefire solution for insomnia. Some days it was just a matter of crawling into Kelly's arms a little tighter, sometimes a little massage helped to relax him, and there had even been times where Matt had been so restless that Kelly had resorted to giving him a long bath in order to get rid of the tenseness in his body.Matt's sleep was nothing to brag about though, it was around 2:00 in the morning before Kelly was finally able to coax him into sleep. Only two hours later he was wide awake tossing and turning again. It was then that Kelly pulled him right into his chest, wrapping his whole body around him. Matt slept there for another hour, his body feeling safe but his mind still scattered all over the place, throbbing in heaviness and pain. It was 5:00 o'clock when Matt couldn't take it anymore and silently slid out of bed, careful not to wake up his exhausted husband. He always felt bad when Kelly was up with him so many times throughout the night, it made him feel like such a burden. Groggily, Matt picked a t-shirt and shorts out of the closet and shrugged them on. He left the bedroom softly, closing the door gently behind himself as he tip toed to the front door and pulled on his running shoes. Matt hit the sidewalk at a fast jog, one foot after another, setting quite a hefty speed for himself. Wind whizzed through his thick hair, and the cool morning breeze left goosebumps on his chilly skin. Matt knew he'd warm up enough to compensate soon, but even still, he didn't mind the cold. Second turned into minutes, which turned into an hour just as quickly as it had started. Matt's mind had been in overdrive, running faster than his body, which was saying quite something. He had a lot to think about, and maybe now he was finally getting to the point where he could definitively say he had an inkling about his new direction. He'd told his parents that he was dating Kelly. They thought he was a girlfriend, but uh, he wasn't. He was Matt's husband and that would sure come as a shock to all of those close-minded people, but sooner or later it'd have to happen. He'd have to tell them next week.Well, he didn't have to tell them, not in theory. But Kelly was right, he had to get this weight off of his shoulders, it was baring down on him harshly and he wished he could just make it disappear. He knew though, that the only way that was going to happen was if he just came right out with it and let his family find out the truth. Matt didn't want to keep lying, keep hiding.Matt was completely out of breath by the time he got back to his and Kelly's place. He half expected the dark-haired lieutenant to be up and about by now, he was an early riser. But a subtle peek into the bedroom showed him pleasantly snoozing, his face in the pillow, his bare back facing up and peeking out of the covers. Matt smiled and quietly closed the door, heading into the kitchen to get some food for the two of them. Just a little while later, Matt was carrying a tray into the bedroom with two cups of coffee, a big stack of pancakes, and a pile of bacon. "Wakey wakey." Matt murmured gently, setting the tray on the night stand.Kelly stirred a little, but was having a hard time waking up. Matt couldn't help but laugh at the sight as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "Wake up, sleepyhead." The blonde cooed, leaning down for a moment to leave a kiss on Kelly's temple."Mmm, morning Matty." Kelly's eyes were still closed as he let out a big yawn and stretched out his sleepy muscles. His eyes fluttered open slowly, and soon met Matt's own blue orbs which were sparkling brightly.Kelly grinned from ear to ear as Matt leaned over once again, just to leave a little kiss on the top of his nose. "Brought you some breakfast," Matt smiled warmly, running a thumb across Kelly's cheek. Kelly's smile grew impossibly bigger as he groggily pushed himself up to a sitting position, turning over to glance at the tray of mouthwatering food. "Chocolate chip pancakes? My favourite."Matt nodded, his lips quirking up into a smirk, "I know.""What's the occasion?" Kelly chuckled reaching his arms out toward Matt, motioning for him to get closer."Occasion?" Matt replied with a smile, crawling into bed and sitting beside Kelly. "Do I have to have a reason to surprise my amazing, perfect, incredible, handsome husband with breakfast in bed?"Kelly felt his stomach flip; two years later and that blonde-haired angel was still giving him butterflies. "No, not at all." Kelly giggled, adding a moment later, "But you usually do."Matt smiled sheepishly, a small shrug making it's way to his shoulders. "I guess it's also sorry for keeping you awake most of the night."Kelly grinned knowingly, shaking his head, "Matthew Casey, when someone loves you as much as I do, it's damn pleasure to be awake half the night with you."Matt sighed happily, "I love you.""Love you too, baby boy." Kelly murmured, leaning in to kiss Matt on this perfect lips. "Now, how about we eat?" That day they didn't do a whole lot, mostly because of how mentally drained Matt still was, not to mention his terrible sleep. The poor guy could barely think, could barely move because he was so exhausted. Lunchtime came around in no time, and Kelly was making them sandwiches, while Matt laid on the kitchen floor, hands linked behind his head as he blankly stared up at the ceiling. Matt had this thing about laying on floors, something about it was comforting to him, even if the floor itself wasn't the comfiest. It honestly baffled Kelly, but he was all for it if it made his boy happy. Plus, by this point Kelly didn't really think anything of Matt curling up on floors in the house every now and then, especially if he was stressed, it was just a thing and he thought the blonde was all the cuter for it."Matt?" Kelly was trying to gain the blonde's attention and pull him from his thoughts.Matt's eyes flickered above where Kelly was standing over him. "Hey."Kelly reached his hands down to Matt to help him up, "C'mere, Matty. Let's have some lunch.""But.." Matt began but his eyes began watering, he sighed heavily."Baby boy?" Kelly was getting on the ground and pulling Matt into his arms. Something was wrong, Kelly could easily tell. Matt was limp against Kelly's chest, just letting himself be held. "Baby," Kelly soothed, whispering gently into Matt's ear, "Baby, get out of your mind, okay? Come back to me.. Talk to me, love.""I can't.. I just... I don't know what.."Kelly pushed back the blonde's hair, it was starting to need a trim. "Shh, it's okay."Matt took some deep breaths, his brain was full of thoughts that overwhelmed him, but he tried his best to move past them. His voice was small when he spoke, nearly a whisper, "We have to tell them, don't we?" "Not if you don't want to, there's no pressure on you.""But there is.. There's so much weight on me, I can't keep going like this, Kelly.""Look, if you wanna tell them, I'm behind you 100%. If you don't wanna tell them, I'm behind you 100%..." Kelly paused for a few moments, continuing when Matt didn't speak. "I really do think that you should stop going over there though, I can't let my baby boy keep getting hurt like this." The dark-haired lieutenant instinctively grasped Matt a little tighter."Have I mentioned my mom invited you to supper next week?" Matt looked up at Kelly warily, unsure what the man would say."She knows about me?""She asked if I was seeing anybody, I said yes. She asked me your name, I said Kelly." Matt shrugged lightly, hoping Kelly would see the comedic side of it.To Matt's delight, Kelly started roaring in laughter. Matt could feel the reverberations of his lungs as they rippled amusedly. He laughed and laughed, and then after he wiped the tears off his face, he laughed some more. "You told her my name was Kelly, and she totally thinks I'm a girlfriend doesn't she?" Kelly giggled, impossibly amused by the situation."Uhm.." Matt smirked sheepishly, a grin making it's way to his face. "Maybe..?""Oh, Matthew," Kelly was smiling brightly, "You're something else."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Sunday around lunch was when Matt really began getting nerve-wracked. Tonight was the night; the two of them were going to out their relationship to Matt's family and neither thought it would go well. However, it was something that had to be done because it was just getting to be too much to think about. It was getting hard for Matt to keep lying, to keep his story straight, because as things stood, life for Matt was very much not straight."Stop overthinking it, baby boy." Kelly mumbled as he looked down at the man's face, tilting his head to the side as he observed the way the blonde's brows were furrowed.Matt, who's head was resting on Kelly's lap as they watched tv, let out a small sigh which was barely audible, but Kelly didn't miss it."It's going to be fine." Kelly continued, softly stroking Matt's hair.Matt switched his gaze from the tv screen, staring up at Kelly with his bright blue eyes. "It's not going to be fine.""Matty," Kelly smiled gently, "No matter what happens, we're going home together at the end of the day. We'll be okay. Your family is either going to be okay with it or kick us out, and if they kick us out, then it's their loss." Kelly was also a little nervous about this dinner, only because he wasn't sure what was going to happen."Yeah, I guess." Matt shrugged, his gaze couldn't be bothered move from Kelly's beautiful eyes. Kelly continued to run his fingers through Matt's hair, trying to relax the man. He slowly massaged his scalp with one hand while he casually rubbed the other man's chest with the other. "You should have a nap, you look exhausted." Kelly suggested, his voice a whisper. "We don't have to leave for a few hours yet.""Nah, I shouldn't.." Matt began, but his eyes were already closing. Kelly knew just how to relax Matt, he'd learned the hard way what things worked and what things didn't work when trying to soothe the man. "I should stay... awake-" Matt mumbled groggily, trying his best to fight his heavy eyelids. His eyes fluttered open then shut, then opened again. "No, you should go to sleep." Kelly was smiling in amusement as his eyes wandered all over Matt's face and hair. Admiring the way those untameable blonde locks poked up everywhere, probably because he hadn't touched his hair since he woke up. But Kelly loved it, he loved when Matt was looking dressed-up and sexy, but there was also this instant attraction to the sight of Matt just rolling out of bed, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, sometimes tight-fitting sweatpants, hair poking in every direction. And of course, he looked damn good in his work clothes, especially in that turnout gear. Of course, Kelly always kept his head in the game on calls, but when they got back to the station, as they put away turnout gear. The sight of Matt pulling off his turnout coat, and if they were alone, followed by an intentional smirk in the dark-haired lieutenant's direction and the snapping of the suspenders that held up his turnout pants. Well, let's just say there had been a couple times that Kelly had had to tug out a quick one in the bathroom. If he had it his way, he'd have done some very inappropriate things to the man in those situations, but they were at work and they had to be careful.Matt was still fighting the sleep that was threatening to overtake him. "Just close your eyes, Matty." Kelly murmured as he pulled Matt up a bit, pulling him tightly against his chest. Cradling his head and his upper body in his arms, holding him securely. Matt complied and stopped his eyelids from opening again, he took a deep inhale of Kelly, feeling that familiar warmth surrounding him and soothing him immensely.~Matt awoke with a start about an hour later. He instantly shot up from his comfortable position, scaring himself to the point of falling off the couch in the process. "Whoa, baby." Kelly had been a little unnerved by the sudden movements. "You okay?"Matt, from the floor, "Wha?"Kelly pushed himself to the edge of the couch, leaning down to help Matt up. "C'mere, you."Matt crawled back up onto the couch, visibly disoriented and for a few moments very unsure about where he was and what was happening. He'd been somewhere entirely different in his mind, somewhere dark, somewhere he didn't really want to be."You alright?" Kelly asked softly as Matt shuffled back into his arms."I'm fine." Matt answered, even though he wasn't. He wasn't fine, all this stress about tonight's dinner, about his family and the rejection he could already see on the horizon, it was breaking him. "Nightmare?" Kelly wondered aloud, snaking his arms around Matt's trembling torso. The blonde probably didn't even realize the extent of his shaking, but Kelly saw. Kelly knew that he was mentally overburdened. The only time Matt ever had nightmares was when he was insanely stressed out or terrified, in this case, Kelly was almost certain it was both.Matt nodded as he clung to Kelly, burying his head against the man's hoodie. He didn't want to talk about that anymore and he didn't want Kelly to press any further. Matt couldn't afford to be thinking about tonight, he hated the thought of going tonight, but he couldn't let his parents down by playing hooky.Kelly remained silent as he comfortingly rubbed Matt's back, his aim was to gently calm him down. He was really hoping that Matt could just feel that it was going to be okay, he hoped that his silent messages were received. ~"No, really, I'm not kidding!" Kelly grinned incredulously, his eyes wide at the sight of Matt all dressed up."You promise?" Matt was unsure, his head was bowed slightly as he turned back to the full length mirror, scrutinizing himself."Matthew," Kelly walked from the doorway closer to Matt, standing beside him and admiring the picture of the two of them made. "I promise you don't look like you've just come from the streets. You look.." Kelly was lost for words. His lips parted slightly as he turned his body to face Casey, holding him at arms length. He shook his head softly, his eyes traveling over every square inch of his handsome boy. "You look absolutely amazing... How in the hell did I get so lucky?" Kelly asked, utterly in disbelief, his previously amused face replaced by a dead serious expression. Like he really wasn't sure how he'd managed to find a person like Matt. It was understandable of course, because Matt was one in a million. Those big blue eyes, that huge heart of his, his smile, the way he giggled. Oh that cheeky little giggle. Matt smiled at Kelly, wrapping his arms around the man and pulling him into a lingering embrace. "I'm the lucky one." Matt whispered, kissing the other man's temple. Kelly's eyes fluttered closed as he leaned into the feeling, shiverers traveling down his spine. "We should probably go," Matt suggested, a much as he'd rather stay home, stay comfortable, they had places to go people to see.Kelly nodded, giving Matt one last kiss, one that was deep and expressive. A kiss that spoke volumes to Matt. Don't worry, it's going to be okay, I'm with you. I love you.~As they drove into the driveway of Matt's parent's house, each of them took a deep breathe. "Ready?" Kelly looked over to Matt as he shut the ignition off, observing the way Matt's hands shook as he reached for the door handle. "As I'll ever be." The blonde's voice was small and it was easy for Kelly to see the worry. At the same time though, there was something else, something in Matt's expression that led Kelly to believe he was almost at the 'not giving a damn' phase. Matt would soon switch his nervousness and worry to some kind of frustrated disdain and loathing.Matt opened the front door up, letting Kelly in behind him before closing it and toeing off his shoes. Kelly followed suit, determined to try his best to make a good impression. "Matthew, you're late again!" Matt sighed, disheartened that his mother was already annoyed at him, it made him worried because if it was already off to a bad start... Well, it seemed impossible for things to get better. The blonde looked down at his watched, yeah, one minute late.Matt gave Kelly one last 'prepare yourself' glance before he walked from the entranceway across the hall and to the left, entering the dining room. Nobody bothered looking up when Matt walked in, they didn't really care. It wasn't until the two of them sat down, that his mother finally glanced up."I thought you were bringing your girlfriend." Nancy spat in confusion, dropping her fork anger cross her face. "This isn't a damn playdate that you can just bring your friends to, this is a family dinner, Matthew."The words caused Damien, Christie, and Greg to look up. Kelly was now the centre of attention, everyone was confused now too. Matt's heart was beating quickly, and his breathing became somewhat shallow. Nobody noticed that, no-one except for Kelly. He decided to let Matt do the talking, it was better if he had control of the situation. They'd talked about this before already, Matt wanted to be the one to tell his parents the news, and Kelly respected that. "I.. uh.." Matt trailed off, looking down to his lap for a moment as he tried to formulate words in his mind. He had this whole speech planned out, but now that he was here, now that everyone's eyes had switched to him, he forgot everything.Greg spoke up for the first time since they arrived, "No excuses! Where is your girlfriend?" He asked quizzically, "And who is this?" He added, motioning wildly to Kelly."This is uh-" Matt began, trying to introduce the dark-haired lieutenant, but he was quickly interrupted by his mother. "You probably made this Kelly person up," She scoffed in disgust.Matt shook his head wildly, "I didn't mak-"Christie's turn to interrupt, "Matt probably picked an ugly, unaccomplished slut that was such an embarrassment he didn't dare show her off." She laughed. It wasn't a kind, warm laugh, it was an annoying laugh that bothered Matt.Next thing he knew everyone started talking at once and the room was filled with loud voices. Matt was losing what little confidence he had, his posture slumped a little as he continued to be ignored by his family. They were talking exclusively about him as if he wasn't even there, and all he could do was listen to the demeaning things they were saying. Matt was pulled from inside his head when he felt Kelly gently lay a hand on his leg, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Matt stole a glance in Kelly's direction, only to find the man looking at him, a small smile tucked in the corner of his lips.Matt wasn't sure why, but he seemed to gain a little strength from that. So when Nancy turned back to Matt and bitterly came at him with, "Where is this Kelly of yours, is she too good for us?" Matt was ready."Everyone," He began, a fresh confidence in his voice. "Please meet Kelly," Matt motioned beside him. "Kelly," He began pointing to the other people around the room, "This is my mom, Christie, her boyfriend Damien, and my dad."Everyone was absolutely speechless, and Matt was worried the dust bunnies would run into their mouths if they didn't pick their jaws off the floor. "Hello." Kelly greeted politely, a smile on his face."What the fuck." Christie exclaimed visibly repulsed."Matthew Casey, are you trying to tell me that this man is your boyfriend?" The rage in his mothers eyes terrified Matt but there was no going back now."No, mom." Matt replied nonchalantly, "He's not my boyfriend, he's my husband." Kelly nearly grinned, that was his boy. Kelly seen this coming, he knew that Matt would get into a 'don't give a shit' mood.Greg spoke up, "He's your WHAT?""He's my husband." Matt shrugged, a smile on his face as he stole a glance at Kelly."What do you mean he's your husband?" Nancy was completely livid as she stood up, his chair squeaking across the ground Matt looked his mother directly in the eyes. "It uh, it means we got married." "Married? To a MAN? Why I never." Nancy shook her head disappointedly, a horrified expression on her face. "How long exactly have you been 'married' for?" Christie asked resentfully, she was staring at him with a severely judging look."What's it been now, babe?" Matt turned to Kelly, all this drama mixing up his mind to the point where he couldn't recall if it was two or three years."'Bout 2 years." Kelly grinned, wrapping an arm around Matt's shoulders. He was so unbelievably proud of his boy for being so strong.Matt turned back to Christie, "Yeah, 'bout 2 years." He explained casually.Nancy screeched loudly, the sound reminiscent of a pterodactyl, meanwhile Greg was visibly growing angrier and angrier. "2 years?! And you never told us?" Nancy was yelling at the top of her lungs now. "You stupid, disrespectful, ungrateful, fucking little brat.""Didn't think you'd take it well." Matt shrugged his shoulders, "Looks like I wasn't wrong.""Don't talk back at your mother like that," Greg boomed, standing up and banging a fist on the table. Matt stood as well. He was more than a little angry at this point, frustrated beyond belief because all he'd ever wanted was for his parents to be happy for him. "I wasn't ta-""Shut up, you dirty ass motherfucker." Christie yelled in annoyance."Christie's right," Nancy yelled, "You have no right to talk in my house." "No gay fag is welcome here," Greg added in an outrage, his face was redder than a tomato and Kelly was honestly surprised he couldn't see the steam shooting from his ears. Damien, bless his heart, just looked down at his plate and winced as he ate whatever was on his plate. Welcome to dinner at the Casey's."But... I'm your son..." Matt muttered, his line of sight flipping back and forth between his parent's faces. "No." Gregory grunted bitterly, shaking his head furiously, "You're no son of mine."Nancy nodded her head, agreeing with her husband for once, "Get out of this house, you're no longer welcome here. You're a complete disappointment to us all." She spat, slapping Matt clear across the face. "You're nothing to us."Matt brought his hand up to his stinging cheek, a tear falling from his eyes. Maybe it was easier to act like he didn't give a shit, but when his mom was hitting him, that stung, figuratively and literally. Matt supposed he should be used to it by now, being hurt by his 'family'. That should be normal to him. And to a certain extent, it was normal. He didn't necessarily expect anything less from his parents, but he was learning now that that's not normal. Kelly was teaching him what it was like to have a real family, a caring family. And now Matt was figuring out that his own, well, they weren't exactly what they should be.Greg made the next move, grabbing Matt by the collar and laying a strong left hook into his gut. Matt fell to the floor as he tried to catch the wind that was knocked out of him."Matt?" Kelly murmured, leaning down to help Matt up. He didn't see the kick that Greg sent in Matt's direction and next thing he knew, Matt was doubled over again, clutching his left side. Kelly stood angrily, carefully hoisting Matt up into the chair he had just occupied. Greg obviously thought he could keep hurting his boy, but little did he know, Kelly had other plans. One strong punch to the jaw was enough to send Greg stumbling backwards into his chair, collapsing in a heap. Kelly noticed something just in the peripheral, but he wasn't quite quick enough to stop blow against Matt. This time it was Matt's mom, holding a- uh, frying pan?She swung it at Matt, the bottom of the pan making contact with Matt's bicep, sending a sickening clank through the air. Bits of burnt on food flew through the air because of the sudden shock. Matt didn't realize it immediately, but suddenly his whole upper arm was stinging as if it was on fire. He knew the feeling well, and when he glanced up at the frying pan, still angrily clutched in his mothers hands, he could see the steam coming off of it, he knew it was fresh from the stove. His decision to wear a short sleeved button-up became slightly regrettable as the metal sizzled against his skin a second time. Matt was positive the his mother would have continued hitting him if not for Kelly taking things into his own hands. He ripped the pan out of the woman's hand, throwing it across the room. He was seething through his teeth, all he could see was red. Nobody, nobody on earth could ever get away with hurting Matthew Casey, his baby boy.Kelly shoved Nancy down, pushing her into he chair, hoping he could make her stay there because of his sheer intimidation. He was a big guy, much bigger than her, and he was hoping that was enough to scare the shit out of her. He figured his anger would help too, but he tended not to rely on anger to push him through things.Matt was still trying to catch his breath, doubled over, clutching his side tightly. A second later Greg began coming to, and Kelly didn't quite like the look of that. He decided within himself that he'd actually quite like to knock him out again, over and over again. Damien and Christie were frozen in both confusion and fear, and they quickly left the house as soon as they met Kelly's fiery eyes. "Baby boy, let's go okay?" Kelly murmured, stroking back Matt's tousled hair. Matt nodded, tears running from both eyes, the physical and mental pain overwhelming him. Kelly hauled Matt up from the chair, slipping an arm around his waist. The blonde wrapped an arm around Kelly's shoulders, leaning against him for support. Kelly led Matt to the entryway, helping him get his shoes on, and was just about to lead him out the door when suddenly Greg appeared from around the corner indignantly. "Get the hell away." Kelly growled, he was so protective over Matt. He'd surprised himself by that in the beginning of their relationship, he cared over Matt fiercely and in a way that he'd never cared about someone before. "Don't take a step closer." He warned, his voice low and gravelly as he steadily met Greg's infuriated gaze.Greg did not give one shit about what Kelly had to say, he simply stormed toward Matt, his brows furrowed in an angry glare. Kelly tried his damn best to hold him back, he really did. But somehow that angry man slid out of his grasp and headed straight from for Matt at full speed, laying a swift punch to the side of his face. "What? You can't even fight back, you weak piece of shit?!" Matt's dad grunted. Next thing he knew, Matt was being hit with another punch to his gut and then he was in a headlock, struggling for air as his father strangled him. "I'd never hurt you, Dad." Matt choked out, the words barely audible because of the compression on his vocal chords. Tears ran down his face as he let this happen to him, he probably deserved it, but it hurt nonetheless. "Don't call me that." Greg roared, throwing Matt against the wall. "You are not my son! You are not my fucking son. I never thought it was possible to be THIS disappointed in you." Matt's father looked absolutely terrifying as he took fistfuls of Matt's shirt, pushing him against the wall, lifting him until Matt's feet were dangling. "You fucking waste of oxygen. Get the FUCK out of my HOUSE." Greg screamed angrily.Kelly was beyond livid and wasted no time ripping the man off Matt and throwing him to the ground as hard as he possibly could. The dark-haired lieutenant was angry and he was strong; he began laying the punches onto Gregory as fast and as powerfully as he could. "Kel." Matt choked out, his voice hoarse from his strained throat muscles.There was only one thing that could stop Kelly when he hulked out like this, when all he craved was revenge and blood. That one thing was Matt. Kelly was still on top of the blonde's father, and took a small break from punching to turn a little and face his boy."Take..." Matt had to take a spluttering breath in, "Please.." The blonde's face easily betrayed the weariness he was feeling, the fear, the pain, and the hurt. "Me.. Home."Kelly nodded, watching as Matt said more with his eyes than he was able to express with words. Matt really wanted to go, hell, so did Kelly. But Kelly felt far from done with Matt's parents, there was no way they could get away with inflicting so much physical and emotional pain. No way. But Kelly's number one priority was Matt himself, so if his boy needed to go, then go they would. However that didn't stop Kelly from letting his fist meet his Greg's face one more time, the satisfying crack of the man's nose beneath his knuckles was beautiful in Kelly's ears. Kelly stood, and for a moment, he wondered whether Nancy would try to take a crack at him, but she quickly scuttled away.Kelly let out a sigh, standing up and shaking out his fist. Matt was on the floor, his back slumped against the wall. He was subconsciously curling into himself, a wince crossing his face every now and then as his injuries throbbed and stung."C'mere, Matt. Let's go."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Matt was curled up on the passenger seat, staring out the window blankly. Watery tear tracks were still glistening on his cheek. Kelly wasn't sure what to say, or if he should even say anything at all. He shot a few sympathetic glances toward the blonde during the silent journey, hoping that Matt would reach out and be the first to say something.Kelly pulled into the driveway and immediately turned the ignition off. He quickly made the decision to get out and made his way around the car to the passenger door, which he open as gently as he could. Kelly knelt down in front of Matt. "Hey." Hey murmured, reaching a hand out and tenderly placing it on Matt's thigh.Matt looked like he was doing his best to hold himself together, his lips formed a thin line and he couldn't help but look away. Kelly noticed the way his lip was trembling, the way his eyes began watering again. He glanced up unsurely to the dark-haired lieutenant, "Kel." Matt's small voice cracked as he reached out to his husband, letting himself quickly be engulfed in a tight embrace."It's alright, baby boy." Kelly lifted Matt up off the seat, not letting go for a second. Matt wrapped his legs around Kelly's waist, and buried his head against his shoulder. He just cried as Kelly carried him inside, bringing him to their bedroom. "I'm sorry," Matt mumbled through a sob, just as Kelly set him down on the their bed he began wiping at the tears on his face. "I don't even know why I'm crying, I just..." He trailed off."Matty, it's okay. Crying is okay, remember?" Kelly smiled softly, rubbing Matt's back comfortingly."But I shouldn't, it's weak and pathetic-""Let me stop you there." Kelly murmured, "You're brave and strong. So strong. You did so good today."Matt sniffled as he rubbed his eyes, he half laughed as he turned to Kelly. "My freaking parents beat me up and I didn't even stop them."Kelly smiled sympathetically as his brows furrowed, "Matthew Casey, you didn't stop them because you are an unbelievable kind.." Kelly paused as he gently pushed back Matt's shoulders, helping him lay down. "..respectful, amazing son. You're so polite and you always care about others more than yourself.." Kelly was hovering right over Matt now, their lips barely an inch apart. "You didn't hurt them, because you, my love, are so incredible, and you're humble, wonderful, and compassionate. And I love that about you." Kelly leaned down, gently touching Matt's lips with his own, pulling away a few moments later. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught the sight of the raging burn on Matt's upper arm."Looks like that burn could use a little love." Kelly got off of Matt gently, "I'll get the first aid stuff." Kelly smiled softly, beginning to make his way to the bathroom. Matt rolled off the bed and followed Kelly wearily.Kelly turned around when he heard Matt come into the bathroom right behind him, "Hey. Thought you'd stay in bed." He murmured, taking a step closer to the blonde."I kinda want a shower first." Matt shrugged, absentmindedly clutching his sore side."Okay," Kelly nodded, "By yourself? Or..?""With you." Matt glanced up for a moment, a sheepish little smile making it's way to his face. "Always with you, Sevy."Kelly smiled as he set the first aid kit on the counter and closed the distance between them. The dark-haired lieutenant peeled off Matt's shirt as gently, trying his best not to hurt the poor guy. The bruises were already forming, splotches of flaming red, blue, and purple skin littered parts Matt's body. The tender area around his eye was turning darker by the minute, and his eye was starting to swell shut, thanks to Greg. Kelly knelt down in front of Matt, examining the bruises on his stomach and ribs, along with the burn on his arm."Let's get the rest of your clothes off." Kelly smiled, undoing Matt's belt and pulling down his pants. Kelly turned the water on to warm and helped Matt under the spray as soon they were both undressed. He held Matt close as they stood under the droplets of warm water, "You wanna talk about it?" Kelly asked, leaving room for a yes, a no, or even nothing at all.Kelly felt Matt shrug against him, their bare bodies sliding against each other slightly at the movement. "What's there to talk about?" The blonde muttered, his arms wrapped around Kelly's neck, his face buried against the man's shoulder.Kelly knew he had to choose his words carefully, so far Matt was handling things okay and he didn't want to make matters worse by saying the wrong thing. "What's going on inside that head of yours?"Matt sighed long and hard, Kelly wasn't sure if he was going to grace him with a reply or not because he was silent for a long while. But then suddenly, "I don't know whether to be sad.. or mad.. or frustrated, or hurt, or relieved... or if I should be all of them at once.""Understandable," Kelly murmured, glad Matt was opening up to him instead of shutting him out."I thought, I always thought they loved me. I really did." Matt seemed to be talking more to himself than to Kelly, but Kelly listened nonetheless. "They don't love me..." The blonde trailed off softly, his voice barely more than a whisper.Matt pulled away just slightly, lifting his head off Kelly's shoulder so he could stare the man in the eyes. "You're all I got now Kelly."Kelly was caught off guard by the sheer amount of emotions Matt was conveying to him in this moment, not only with his words, but with that sad, terrified expression, those big blue eyes that showed how genuinely scared he was to be alone. The water dripped down Matt's face from the faucet, and Kelly could see through it, he could tell that it wasn't just from the shower. Matt was crying. The very sight alone almost made Kelly cry too because it completely broke his heart. And then Matt had to go and say those three damn words and Kelly's heart was tore apart, shred by shred. "Please don't go."Kelly shook his head, pulling Matt close once again, pushing him against his racing heart. "You won't be getting rid of me any time soon, Matty." He replied firmly, "I promise."~Soon enough, they were out of the shower and Kelly was now addressing Matt's wounds. "Alright, this is going to sting a bit." Kelly whispered, putting some burn ointment on the hot, singed skin. Matt groaned as his nerves seemed to catch on fire wherever the ointment went, but the sensation slowly died down, replaced by the feeling of Kelly's fingers gently gliding against his skin. Kelly applied a little more ointment to some gauze, and gently pressed it against Matt's burn, carefully wrapping the white bandage around his arms a few times.Matt could instantly feel the relief of the ointment kick in and he let out a short sigh, slumping over a little bit. He looked exhausted and totally out of energy. "Tired?" Kelly murmured, stroking a hand through Matt's damp hair.Matt nodded, his eyes fluttering closed as he subconsciously leaned into the touch. "Okay, I'm going to get you ready for bed and then you're going to have a nice long sleep, sound good?""Yeah." Matt mumbled under his breath.Kelly smiled fondly, standing and reaching down to Matt, helping his sleepy boy stand up. "Alright, buddy. You go get in bed, I'm going to grab some icepacks from the freezer."Matt shook his head firmly, "No ice packs.""Wha? Why?" Kelly questioned with an equal amount of confusion and concern in his voice."They're too cold." Matt shrugged a frown on his face, "I don't want to go to sleep with icepacks on, that's not cozy."Kelly couldn't hold back the silent chuckle that bubbled up his throat, "I'll make sure you're nice and cozy, don't worry." He replied in amusement, shaking his head fondly at the other man."Thanks." Matt's lips quirked up in a small smile as Kelly scooped him up and carried him to bed, setting him gently on top of the comforter.Kelly was gone and back again within a few seconds, holding four icepacks in his arms. They had a habit of always having a lot of icepacks ready incase one of them got burned on shift. He set them down on the bed beside Matt, who at this point, was only wearing a towel. Kelly snuck a glance at his sleepy Matt before heading to the dresser across the room and pulling out a fresh pair of boxers for both of them, as well as what he knew, was Matt's coziest piece of clothing. He'd initially gotten it for Matt as a joke, never thought he'd ever wear it, yet Matt had immediately loved it."Yay!" Matt exclaimed as he looked at what Kelly was bringing him, he was still obviously beyond weary, but Kelly appreciated what little happiness he was able to bring.Kelly first got Matt's boxers on, discarding the towel onto the floor. He then started helping Matt get into his onesie, getting his feet in the leg holes and pulling hit up to his hips. Matt had a big grin on his face as he stood, it only grew when Kelly pulled the rest of the cosy fleece up to his shoulders and guided his arms into the sleeves. The dark-haired man zipped up the red and grey striped onesie, grinning as he took in the sight.Kelly swiftly pulled back the covers and motioned for Matt to get in. "Alright get your cute ass in here, baby boy."Matt crawled in slowly, every movement pained him, but it was hard for his mood to stay down when Kelly was doing all these things to try to make him feel better. Kelly tucked him in, the big fluffy down comforter making him look small in the bed. Another smile emerged from Kelly's face as he pulled on his own boxers and joined Matt in bed. He grabbed the icepacks one by one, placing a couple of them on his stomach and ribs, one against his burn, and he held the last one against the poor guy's face."See? Cozy." Kelly murmured, nuzzling the unharmed side of Matt's face."Yeah." Matt nodded a sleepy smile on his face, "Thanks, Sevy." Kelly knew it wasn't just a thank you for making him cozy. It was so much more than that, it was a thank you for coming to the dinner in the first place, and then it was also for being so loving after Kelly got him the hell out of there."Always, Matthew." The dark-haired man reached an arm around Matt, holding him tight. Matt felt all the sleepier because of the heat transferring from Kelly's body, "Always."