Chapter Text
One foot after another. Just one foot after another. Almost there. You’re almost there.
Shawn gripped his shoulders and ducked his head against the blistering wind. He tried to ignore how his feet throbbed in time with his heartbeat. He supposed it was a good sign he could feel them at all. His face had long gone numb, his warm breath stuttering against his shivering lips.
The first few rays of sunlight were just starting to peak over the horizon, but the streets were bare - most people taking shelter from the unseasonable cold snap that hit the city two days ago. Shawn wasn’t too concerned at the time. Sure, his trailer had been without electricity and heat for the past week, but his dad had left to pick up the odd job a few towns over and should be back any day with enough cash in his pocket to appease the power company until next month.
Unfortunately, two days later, his dad was still AWOL, and, by the lack of dial tone, the phone bill was past due too. Shawn was able to hide out at school and Cory’s during the day but at night, when the temperatures easily dipped below freezing, Shawn buried himself under a mound of blankets in the dark trailer. As the hours slowly crept by, Shawn ignored his rumbling stomach and shaking hands, picturing himself on a warm beach with a few coeds to keep him company. In the early hours of the morning, he realized he was looking at another twenty-four hours before the school reopened. Shawn reluctantly accepted that, try as he might, layers of blankets and coats were not going to be sufficient. He was so tired of finding a space just to be.
How pathetic. Can’t even survive on his own for a few days. How the Hunter clan was able to survive this long was beyond Shawn. Generations of men mooching off the kindness of their neighbors. If Shawn wasn’t so cold, he’d be tempted to dig a hole and bury himself underground to save himself the embarrassment of relying on someone else to save him.
Just a few more steps.
Jon woke up to loud, erratic pounding on his front door. Grumbling to himself, he rolled over the see 6:49 stare back at him. Jon ran a hand down his face and threw on a sweater.
“Coming! Coming,” he called, as the person knocked again, much quieter this time. He pulled open the door. What the hell could be so important –
Shawn.
Frosted eyelashes, pale face, and blue lips, the kid leaned against his door jamb looking like death warmed over and barely on his feet.
“H-h-hey.”
“Jesus Christ. Come in.” Jon threw an arm around Shawn and guided him to the couch. “Stay there. I’m going to get some blankets.” Jon ran to both bedrooms and grabbed the comforters and sheets. He guided Shawn out of his jacket, his own hands stinging against the cold leather exterior. The kid was practically convulsing with shivers as he wrapped the thickest blanket around him.
“Th-th-than-th-” Shawn was alarmingly breathless.
“Shh… It’s okay.” Jon made quick work of his soaked shoes and socks. “I got you.” He wrapped the frostbitten feet with a separate blanket before lifting them up onto the couch. He sat down on the other end and gathered the bundled kid into his arms. Shawn laid his head against Jon’s chest, burying his bright red nose into his sweater. It was clear his body was instinctively seeking out heat wherever he could find it. Jon learned early on that Shawn never shied away from a hug, but this was noticeably more tactile than the kid had ever been, even in his most vulnerable of moments.
Jon tightened his grip and waited for the shivering to lessen. “Hunter, what happened?”
“Tr-trailer l-l-lost power.”
Jon knew Shawn’s mom left again a month or two ago. After a handful of missed assignments and unexcused absences, he was able to pry the turn of events out of the kid during their sporadic heart-to-hearts. At least this time she hopped on a bus and left the trailer behind. But that didn’t explain why Shawn was here.
“Is your dad still in the trailer?” Jon was already sitting further up to call the Matthews. Someone needed to go save the man from freezing to death in his own home.
He felt Shawn shake his head against his chest. “W-work-king.”
Jon immediately settled back down and readjusted his grip.
“B-b-been a f-few days,” Shawn whispered. If Shawn wasn’t right against his chest, Jon probably wouldn’t have heard it. At the revelation, Jon set his jaw and kept his mouth firmly shut. He kept Shawn close and waited a few minutes until he could no longer hear the kid's breaths shuddering through his lungs.
Shawn was warming up – his lips were no longer a worrying shade of blue - but it was taking entirely too long for Jon’s liking. “I have a hot water bottle. I’ll be right back.”
Shawn lightly grumbled in response but attempted to sit up to allow Jon space to leave.
Jon was glad for a moment to think about next steps while he filled the water bladder. First, he needed to get kid warm, well rested, and fed. Then, he had the fun task of trying to get a hold of Chet and see what the hell is going on. Shawn said a few days, which meant it was likely close to a week if not over. Luckily, the spare room was almost the same as he left it. At least he had a space ready for Hunter this time around.
Jon tied off the hot water bottle and walked back to the couch. Despite his heavy lids, the poor kid was clearly trying his best to stay awake. Jon gently batted Shawn’s hands through the comforter. “Gotta move this. Just for a second.”
Shawn removed the blanket from in front of him and gratefully took the hot water bottle, sighing deeply when the warmth touched his hands. After quickly readjusting, he lifted his shirt and placed the bottle against his chest.
Jon’s mind whited out of a second. Along the left side of Hunter’s ribs was a series of painful looking bruises. It was a technicolour of purple and yellow spanning from his chest to under his waistband, so large that the water bottle did little to cover it. Shawn moved to pull his shirt down, but Jon stopped him.
“Where’d you get those bruises, Shawn?”
Shawn immediately narrowed his eyes and held eye contact – a sure sign Jon wouldn’t like his answer. With what little energy he had, Shawn forcibly moved Jon’s hand and pulled his shirt down in one rapid movement. He swallowed once and ground out, “Nowhere.”
A heavy stone settled in Jon’s stomach. “Looks pretty painful.”
“Y-yeah, well, you sh-should see the other guy.”
“You gettin’ into fights?”
“…Maybe.”
Jon caught Shawn’s eyes flitting towards door. Last thing he wanted is to spook the kid. He reached over to readjust the comforter. If he wasn’t already hyperaware, he would have missed the small flinch as his arm passed Shawn’s face. The stone sunk further.
“Just try to get some rest, yeah?” He patted the kid’s leg.
Shawn nodded and burrowed in deeper, eyes drifting shut.
Jon waited in the armchair to ensure Hunter fell asleep. Determined, he stood up and headed to the kitchen. He had guardianship papers to find and a lawyer to call.