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The pain exploded across his knuckles, racing like fire up his arm towards the blaze that already had a home in his chest. It burned, sparking towards every inch of his skin, embers igniting the nerves.
Another pull back and more pain as his fist connected again, first with the guy's face, then with his teeth. There was a crack, but the sound of the inferno in his ears drowned it out.
Gentle hands rinsed the surface of his torn knuckles, the water numbing out the pain momentarily as it was so cold. No words needed to be spoken. The waves of emotions rolling off his carer no longer held disappointment, just concern and fear. Luke didn’t care what the fear was for. He didn’t want the lecture on it later.
Red splattered across his cheek, but Luke didn’t care. It wasn’t even his. He just pummeled the face below him again, noticing the sickening angle of the nose. Definitely broken then. Idly he wondered when that happened, but like a scrap of paper in a bonfire, the thought was whisked away and reduced to mere ash.
The bandage on his hand was tight, though the bleeding had ceased some time on the ride home. Swiping his tongue over his teeth and lips Luke could also identify the bleeding had stopped there. Well that was good, at least. The taste of copper and iron had always made him queasy.
Hands dragged Luke back and he allowed it to happen, forcing his smirk down as he was pressed to the wall beside him. Brick tore into his skin, probably shredding the back of his too thin cut off, but Luke barely noticed. His eyes were on the man in front of him, the alcohol on his breath swirling into the teen’s nose.
“Having fun?” The man sneered, eying Luke. He’d yet to get a scratch.
“So much.” Luke promised, the cocky grin sliding onto his face easily.
Fingers ran through his hair, untangling the knots as they expertly felt for any deformities or lumps. They slowly drifted down, over his temples and to his eyes, drifting gingerly over the skin. There was enough pressure to reignite the pain Luke felt, but it was all background noise. His head was too empty to hold real thoughts.
“Well, he didn’t break your eye, so that’s good… Gonna be a nice shiner, though.” Alex spoke quietly, fingers slipping down to check Luke’s jaw before he moved on to his lips and teeth. The ribs would come next and Luke was sure he’d cracked a few, but the static in his sternum wasn’t loud enough to tell how many.
“Fucker.” The guy growled and his fist reared back before slamming into Luke’s jaw. Head snapping back, the brick was not a soft landing, Luke chuckled as the blood coated his teeth.
“Are you enjoying this?” The man growled again, another punch hitting Luke in the gut this time.
Doubled over, he grinned at the guy, spitting blood on the pavement before he spoke, “Maybe I am. What’s it to you?”
Alex wiped away the crusted blood from Luke’s lip before handing him a glass of water to rinse with. “You know this has to stop, right?”
Ah. There it was. Luke swished the water another few moments, stalling, before he spit and looked at Alex. The expression hadn’t changed since the first few times they’d had this conversation.
“Luke… One day you’re going to get hurt and it’s not going to be something I can fix.” Alex reminded his friend again as he coaxed him to stand. But he knew the answer to that, too, even if Luke wouldn’t say it.
The next kick came out quick and Luke was on the ground before he could blink. The fog covering the stars made him laugh. Of course he wasn’t allowed to see the lights.
The one currently beating Luke took that as more of the teen’s defiance and he began to wail on him. His feet struck Luke’s ribs and soon his buddy, probably the one Luke had been going at previously, was joining in.
Alex tugged the shirt off of Luke’s body, grimacing at the already colored skin beneath. With a shaking hand he pressed in on each rib, checking to see which were hurt and which weren’t. Luke waited with bated breath, feeling the static in his chest amp up, the numbness break for a moment, before it slipped back to nothingness. Just snowy static on an old tv, a broken radio looking for the right signal.
“Only two look broken. Got lucky.” Alex muttered, turning Luke around to check his back, but the scrapes there were minor. They didn’t need anything.
“Yeah. Lucky.” Luke mumbled, his words a hiss of air as Alex yanked off his jeans next.
Luke laid there, throwing insults and quips up through jagged breaths and shattered cries. He laughed when the aggression and anger intensified. “I kicked both of your asses and it’s taking two of you to shut me up.” He reminded them, before adding, “And you’re not even doing a good job.”
Bloody face’s eyes flashed and before anyone could stop him he was knelt on top of Luke. One hand steadied his balance while the other gripped Luke’s throat in such a tight chokehold all the air in his lungs couldn’t even whoosh out as the guy’s knee settled on to his chest.
Alex did a quick check of Luke’s legs but found nothing concerning. He shoved a pair of old sweats and a zip up hoodie at him, crossing his arms. “Luke, we’re worried about you. You’ve been doing this more often… It can’t keep happening. It can’t keep being this bad.”
Luke stepped into the faded pants, barely managing to keep his balance. Once they were secured around his waist he looked at his best friend, eyes far too empty. “I’m doing my best.”
“Well there has to be another option. Let us help you. Any of us. Please.” Alex’s voice was a whisper and his eyes drifted to the purple marks on Luke’s neck.
Black spots played in Luke’s vision and the dribble of blood and drool down his cheek felt faint. It was only a few eternities later, as he felt his fingertips go numb, that the air flooded his system and he curled into himself to hack.
Hands rubbed down his back and he didn’t need to open his eyes to know they were Alex’s. When the hacking slowed and he could inhale raggedly but without sending himself into another fit, he glanced around. The two men were gone and Bobby was standing above him, the guarded gaze in his eyes giving Luke all he needed.
“Hey, guys.” The guitarist groaned, being dragged up by the drummer.
“M’trying, ‘Lex.” He muttered, dragging the hoodie over his arms and zipping it up to his chin, effectively hiding the bruises.
Alex sighed, returning his eyes to Luke’s. “We’ll talk again tomorrow…”
It was more of a threat than anything, but Luke also knew tomorrow the remains of his smoldering rage would be long gone, dimmed by sleep and put out by the exhaustion it always brought. Tomorrow they’d talk and Luke would have to either accept their help or be in this position again when someone rekindled the spark.
“Tomorrow.” He nodded and followed Alex to the bedroom.
Gently he laid down and immediately Bobby slid over to give him and Alex space and Reggie, after a quick glance up at Alex for permission, was wrapped around Luke like a baby koala. Alex sandwiched him in from behind and Luke sighed, breathing out the last of the embers and inhaling the clean, safe scent of his family.
“No more, Luke.” Reggie whispered, voice hoarse from the crying he’d surely done when they found out he’d left and Alex and Bobby had to go searching for him.
Luke lifted an arm enough to pay at Reggie’s back, words still hollowed and cracking, but soothing the bassist, “No more.”
It wasn’t a promise he was sure he could keep. But he would try, just like always. Maybe next time he’d find a better way to suffocate the flames before they crept through his veins and scarred his soul.