4 Trust Me

Simon was silent on the ride to Manhattan. He had worn a black hoodie and black jeans. His bruises still looked bad, so he had self-consciously pulled the hood over his head.

Zeke had called his mother just before they left and told her he was coming over with a friend.

"Did you get someone pregnant, Zeke?" Anna Carter asked in a bored tone.

"Wow, you've got jokes, Mom." Zeke said dryly. "It's a guy. And he's hurt. And scared."

"Tell me about it when you get here."

Simon had only chocolate milk. It was the only thing he could keep down. His eyes had dark circles and huge bags underneath. His brown eyes looked less hopeless and Zeke was thinking about taking him to get a haircut.

Simon had dozed off before they had gotten to his family home. He saw his mother standing at the door.

"Wow, you drove down?" his mother said, kissing his cheek. "You must really like this person."

"I do." He admitted. "But mom, before you see him. You should know, he has been through hell. So don't freak out."

Zeke went to the wake Simon up. As he tapped on the passenger window, Simon jumped. "Fuck, Zeke…you scared me."

"We're here." Zeke said, smiling. "You look cute when you swear."

Simon grumbled and got out of the car. He flinched when Zeke held his wrist but Zeke just smiled and pulled him gently.

"Simon, this is my mom. Dr. Carter." Zeke made introductions. "Mom, Simon."

"Call me Anna." His mom said smoothly. "Pleased to meet you. Shall we go inside?"

"I thought we were going to a hospital." Simon whispered to Zeke walked behind his mom.

"Yeah. I figured you'd be more comfortable here." Zeke said.

"Oh." Simon looked down as he followed Zeke. When they got to his mother's office, Zeke sat on the arm of the chair he had directed Simon to sit in.

"Zeke, baby; could you give us a few…" she stopped when Simon grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "Or not…So Simon, may I see your face?"

Simon sighed and slowly pushed his hoodie off his head. Zeke saw his mother's eyes widen as she swallowed a gasp. Simon didn't notice. She frowned and stood up. She walked towards Simon and raised a hand to his face. "May I?" she asked and Simon nodded. He flinched a little as she traced the bruised on his face.

Taking a deep breath, she said. "Zeke? Come with me please. Simon, we'll be right back. Do you need anything to eat? Drink?"

Simon shook his head, shooting Zeke a panicked look before sinking into the chair. Zeke smiled at him. "I'll be right back."

"Zeke!" his mother hissed when they were out of the room and far away that Simon couldn't hear them. "That child has been abused."

"I know, Mom." Zeke sighed. "It was his boyfriend. I kind of helped him escape yesterday. Di said he was hurt pretty bad and well, here we are."

"The police should be involved." She whispered.

"Yeah, no." Zeke said. "His boyfriend or ex-boyfriend is the police. Works with Zion."

"Did you at least tell your brother?"

"No." Zeke said, rubbing his neck. "You know Zion…"

"I have to call Lucas." His mom said. "His face…" She looked towards the room where they'd left Simon, concern and worry etched on her face.

"Mom, no cops yet." Zeke begged. "Just help him first. That's why I brought him to you. He just about pitched a fit when I suggested it until I promised we wouldn't call the cops. Help him first..."

His mother glared at him. "I don't like this."

"He needs our help." Zeke said. "Just help him."

***

His mother had put Simon in a private room. Zeke was texting Di about the situation.

"Zeke?" Simon said softly. "You won't leave me, will you?"

"Just try to get rid of me. I'm not going anywhere." Zeke said. "Focus on getting better. Then we'll figure stuff out, OK?"

"Will you teach me how to bake?" Simon asked, on a yawn as his eyes drooped. Zeke wasn't surprised that he was exhausted. His mother had insisted that Simon do all the medical tests known to man, so Simon was pretty much wiped. Plus, he had been given some really strong painkillers.

"I'll teach you anything you want." Zeke smiled.

"Will we leave today?" Simon asked, his eyes fluttering tiredly.

"I'm not sure but I'll ask mom." Zeke said.

"Your mom is pretty." Simon slurred.

"I'll tell her you said so." Zeke said, but Simon was already asleep.

Zeke went in search of his mom and found her in her office with the Police Chief.

"Lucas." Zeke said, glaring at his mother. Lucas Hayes and his mother had started dating a couple of years back. He should have known she would have called him.

"Zeke, honey. I had no choice." His mother said. "He has been…raped. And by the look of things, several times. He's malnourished and…" She sighed shakily. "That poor boy."

Zeke blanched. "What?" he croaked. "He…what?"

"You didn't know?" Lucas asked.

"No." Zeke said. "I mean, I knew Jon was hitting him but-but…"

"Jon?" Lucas frowned.

"His boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend." Zeke mumbled. He was torn between fury and despair at what his mother had said.

"What can you tell me about this Jon?" Lucas asked.

"He-he works with Zion." Zeke said, distractedly. His mind was occupied with the different ways he could hurt Jon.

"Wait, he's a cop?" Lucas asked sharply.

"Yeah." Zeke said. "Simon said they moved to New York not that long ago."

Lucas was silent. Then he turned to Anna. "When can I talk to him?"

"He's asleep now." Zeke said before his mother could. "But I-I have to let him know that the police are involved now. He's pretty messed up about it."

***

"No." Simon said stubbornly. "You don't understand. He'll kill me."

"Hey." Zeke said, reaching for Simon's hands as he tried to get off the bed. "I promised I wouldn't let that happen. OK. Calm down."

Simon was shaking, his eyes shiny. "I-You don't understand...he'll be s-so mad."

Zeke sat next to him and hugged him. " Don't worry about that asshole. It'll be OK. I promise. Don't worry about anything. Just focus on getting better."

Simon pressed his face against Zeke's shoulder and nodded. He was still shaking but he had stopped trying to get out of the bed. "I want to go…home." Simon said, his voice muffled. "I mean, your place."

"We'll leave soon." Zeke said, ignoring the way his heart skipped when Simon referred to his place as 'home'. Hell, he wanted to go home too. Being here reminded him of the time he broke his arm in middle school and his mom had Zion hold him down in one of the beds. He shook his head, dispelling the thoughts.

Soon Simon relaxed and leaned heavily against him. "OK, I'll talk to, uh…"

"Lucas."

"Yeah. Lucas." Simon said, sighing and lying back in the bed.

Zeke watched him as he made himself comfortable.

"So, mom said…"Zeke swallowed. "I heard that Jon…did more than just hit you."

Simon stiffened. "Well…" he sighed and looked away from Zeke. "Yeah."

"I-I'm sorry." Zeke said, knowing that wasn't enough; would never be enough.

"Why?" Simon still wasn't looking at him. "It's not your fault."

"I know…but…"

"But nothing." Simon cut him off. "If anyone's to blame, it's me. I made the decision to be Jon's boyfriend. I was the one who stayed after he hit me the first time, I stayed after he r-raped me the first time and then told me I was worthless and that no one would ever love me. Hell, anyway you look at it, it was all my fault. I'm just a useless fuck up."

"Simon…" Zeke said, but Simon was on a roll.

"It was me. I did this to myself and now I have dragged you into it." Simon sighed shakily. He rubbed at his cheeks viciously. "Why the fuck am I crying?"

"Simon. You didn't do anything wrong." Zeke said, clutching at his hands. "Listen to me, you are not a fuck up, OK. I promise. And I'll punch anyone in the face who says you are."

Simon laughed thickly. "You really like to punch people in the face."

"Only if they deserve it." Zeke grinned. He wiped Simon's cheeks. "You're OK. I'm here for you. Don't worry about that scum."

Simon nodded and ducked his head as he blushed. "OK."

***

"Zeke, remember the guy you said was calling you?" Zion said a few hours later.

"Yeah?" Zeke had a bad feeling about the call.

"I just spoke to Jon and it seems he's a suspect in one of his cases." Zion said. "Jon is trying to get an APB."

"What?" Zeke shouted. "Why?"

"Jon said he had been following him…" Zion's voice trailed off.

Fucking Jon.

"He's a fucking liar." Zeke snapped cutting his brother off.

"Excuse me?"

"Jon is lying." Zeke said slowly. "He is an abusive bastard who had been hitting Simon. He even raped him, Zion. Jon is not who you think he is."

"What the hell are you talking about, Zeke?"

"Simon is here. He's with me."

"What?" Zeke breathed. Then there was a full minute of swearing. Zeke was impressed; he didn't know his brother could swear like that. "Start from the beginning." Zion sounded calm.

So Zeke told him everything. From the first phone call to the conversation with Lucas and his mother.

"So…" Zion said finally. "You knew about this and you didn't tell me. You told Mom? You told Lucas? Zeke…"

"You didn't see him, Zion." Zeke said. "He was…is terrified."

"You should have come to me." Zion sounded furious. "I can't believe you went to Mom."

"What exactly are you mad about?" Zeke asked. "That I didn't tell you, or that I told Mom first? 'Cos I was gonna tell you when we got back."

Zion sighed noisily. "'When we get back' he says." Zion muttered "Is he OK? Look, I'm coming over."

"What? Zeke frowned, "Why? You can kick my ass when I get back."

"I want to see the guy who made my baby brother lie to me." Zeke said. "And then I'll kick your ass."

"I'm not your baby brother." Zeke grumbled. "You're not that old."

'Yes I am."

"No, you're not."

"Yes I am."

"Look, I'm not playing this game with you." Zeke said. "You don't need to come over."

"But I do." Zion laughed. "Bye Zeke, I need to call Alex. See you soon."

"Damn it!" Zeke growled. But Zion had already hung up.

***

Simon woke up to loud voices arguing.

"…your brother, you should have trusted me." An unfamiliar voice was saying.

"He trusted me to keep him safe." Zeke said. "And that meant no cops."

"Is that what I am to you? A cop?"

"Zion…" Zeke sighed. "I'm sorry. But…"

"Forget it." Zeke snapped. "You called Lucas."

Zeke called Lucas?

"No, that would be the girlfriend." Zeke said dryly. "Mom did that after she saw how bad it was."

"Do you mind?" Simon groaned. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

He turned and saw Zeke standing next to a tall dark haired man who looked a little bit annoyed. Well, more than a little bit. He looked pissed.

"I told you to keep your voice down." Zeke hissed at the tall man-Zion, "Simon, sorry about that. Someone is being a bitch."

"Well, someone wouldn't be a bitch if someone didn't keep someone in the fucking loop."

Simon giggled. "You do realize you just called yourself a bitch, right?"

Zeke burst out laughing and Simon grinned.

Zion scowled. "Don't encourage him." He growled at Simon.

"Zion," Anna said, walking into his room. "I didn't know you were coming."

Zion bent to kiss his mother on her cheek. "I-It was a spur of the moment thing."

"How do you feel, Simon?" Anna asked. Suddenly, Simon felt the weight of everyone's eyes on him.

"I'm-I'm fine, I think." Simon whispered. "Sleepy…"

"I want to ask…" Zion started.

"Lucas already did." Anna said. "Talk to him. Let Simon rest."

"When can I go…back to Brooklyn?" he asked, looking at Zeke.

"Tomorrow." Anna said. "You just rest. Someone will get you something to eat in a bit."

"I'm not…" Simon started to say he wasn't hungry when his stomach growled. Heat rushed to his face as he mumbled. "OK."

"Everybody out." Anna said loudly.

"But Mom…" Zeke and Zion said in unison.

"Out." He tone left no room for argument. Zeke reached for his hand and squeezed gently before following his brother out of the room.

Simon curled on his side, smiling a little as he started to doze off again.

***

"Jon did that to him?" Zion asked as they walked out of Simon's room.

"Yeah." Zeke said. "About the charges against Simon…"

"Don't worry about it." Zion said. "I knew there was something bogus about Jon's claims but this is horrible. I can't imagine…"

"We've lived sheltered lives, bro." Zeke said, bumping his shoulders with his brother.

"Tell me about it."

"So you like him?" Zion asked after they walked in silence.

"Of course." Zeke smiled. "Underneath all the bruises and shit, Simon is a great guy. He's funny and he likes chocolate, which is more than I can say for you weirdos. He-He's just in a bad place right now."

"Who would have thought?" Zion murmured, smiling.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zeke scowled at his brother.

"I never thought I'd see you fall for anyone." Zion said. "I figured you'd fuck your way around New York till you were like sixty. Then settle down with some blonde slay queen with fake boobs."

"Ew. Why?" Zeke scrunched his nose. "And who says I'm falling for him? He's my friend."

Zion arched an eyebrow.

"Go away." Zeke rolled his eyes.

*

"I spent the whole day doing nothing but sleep and I'm still tired." Simon grumbled.

"Well, you have been through a lot." Zeke said. He was sitting next to Simon's bed, eyes on the flat screen TV on the wall. "Your body is just catching up with…everything."

"How do you know?" Simon asked on a yawn.

"Di said something like that." Zeke said. "You're fine. Mom says you're going to be fine."

"About that…" Simon said, his voice quiet. "I-I d-don't-I can't pay for all of this."

"Simon." Zeke sighed. "I told you not to worry about anything."

"But-." Simon tried to protest.

"Don't worry about anything." Zeke said, slowly. "It's all been taken care of."

"How?" Simon frowned.

"Do you trust me?" Zeke asked, turning to look at Simon.

The brunet nodded, his eyes shiny.

"Then don't worry." Zeke said. "Remember, I got you."

Zeke turned back to the TV and flipped through the channels till Simon gasped. "Hey, stop. I love this movie."

Zeke stopped. It was that weird superhero movie, Watchmen. Zeke had never sat through it before.

The room was silent for a while. Simon dozed off and woke up a few times. Zeke himself started to doze off a bit.

"Zeke?"

"Yeah?" he murmured.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" Simon asked, slurring slightly.

"What?" Zeke opened his eyes. "Of course."

"OK." Simon muttered. "Don't let him get me…"