Percival’s heart raced as he realised that Credence was missing. He had no idea where he would have gone – he hadn’t taken enough interest in him to work out those things. He didn’t know where to go or what to say. There was the woman he had lived with before, in the orphanage. But that wasn’t going to be somewhere he felt safe. That left… well, it left most of New York.
He spun in a circle and headed back out of the door. There wasn’t a plan in his mind as such, just keep walking the streets until he found him. He was married to the man, Credence was bound to his magic, he should have some way of finding him but he hadn’t put anything in place yet. He didn’t know where he was or what he might be doing.
He raced along the labyrinth of streets around his apartment, shivering at the cold. He didn’t know how much of a head start his husband had on him. He wasn’t as late back as he had been the previous days, planning to take him to a restaurant, but he still couldn’t find him. If Credence had snuck out the first opportunity he had got, then he could be several hours travel away by now.
He paused when he caught sight of a familiar figure in the entrance to an alleyway. Credence was stood shivering, still wearing the rags he’d brought with him from the orphanage. He hadn’t seen Percival yet. Percival watched as Credence approached a passing man, before being shoved roughly away.
Credence stumbled back in the alleyway, and Percival used a quick twist of his fingers to cast a charm to cushion his fall. Credence didn’t notice. He looked around, and took a step towards Percival before he froze and started to run. Percival could have used a spell to stop him, but instead he ran forwards and wrapped his arms around Credence. Credence was shivering, and trying to jerk away.
“Credence?” Percival asked softly. “I think it’s time for you to come home. Can I take you home?” Credence closed his eyes and went limp in Percival’s arms, and Percival apparated them home. Credence was shaking worse now, staring at the floor.
“Credence?” Percival gently rested a hand on Credence’s shoulder. “Can you look at me?”
Credence did, and Percival froze as he saw the state of Credence’s lips, red and swollen, his eyes red. Percival wasn’t an idiot. He could tell that Credence had been crying, but he could tell that something else had happened as well. Leaning in slightly, he could smell other men on Credence’s breath. He jerked away from him, getting to his feet and walking a few steps away, fighting down the urge to scream or punch something. Eventually he had got himself under control, and turned back to Credence. “Well?” There was so much he wanted to scream, but he was determined to give Credence the chance to explain himself.
***
“I was going to be home by six.” Credence whispered, flinching when he heard how hoarse his voice was. That was the truth. He had been planning to get back in time. Mister Graves had never been home before six.
“And… you …thought you’d go and whore yourself out in an alleyway while I was working?” Mister Graves spat. “I … Credence, I had restaurant reservations for tonight. I got home and you weren’t here and I was worried. I thought you’d run away.”
“I was only using my mouth.” Credence whispered, his head ducked down in shame. “I was just-“ “What did you think you were doing?” His husband snarled, his eyes glittering dangerously.
“Getting some money.” Credence murmured. “I… I’m sorry. I was just going to get some money and get back, I wasn’t… I was just using my mouth.” “If you needed money that badly, you should have asked.” Mister Graves spat, and Credence closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered, looking down. “I … I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.” “Why… Why did you decide to do that?” “I don’t have any talents.” Credence mumbled. “I just needed a bit of money. I was going to come back and I didn’t want to worry you.”
“What did you need money for?” Mister Graves asked, and he looked so furious that Credence thought for a moment that he would be beaten and then thrown back into the street. “The glasses.” Credence whispered, and flinched back as Mister Graves stared at him in horror.
***
“What glasses?” Percival asked, anger bubbling in him even as he tried to understand what was happening. “The ones in the kitchen.” He murmured. “I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… I was going to buy new ones…”
Suddenly, everything slipped into place, and Percival nearly gagged. Credence had broken a glass, probably throwing some things around in anger, and had felt so terrified of him finding out that he had gone out onto the street to try and get the money to replace them. He paused, knowing he had to work out how to say the next bit. “Whatever happens, Credence, you don’t need to do that. You need money, you ask for it. I won’t hurt you for making that kind of mistake.” “You’re angry sir?” “I am.” Percival admitted. “I’m furious that you went out onto the street rather than come to me. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to hurt you.” He sighed, and reached out to squeeze Credence’s hand. “Don’t… don’t you ever do that again.”
Credence bowed his head and nodded, and Percival tried to force himself to calm down.
Fill: Broken and Kept (Part 11/?)
He spun in a circle and headed back out of the door. There wasn’t a plan in his mind as such, just keep walking the streets until he found him. He was married to the man, Credence was bound to his magic, he should have some way of finding him but he hadn’t put anything in place yet. He didn’t know where he was or what he might be doing.
He raced along the labyrinth of streets around his apartment, shivering at the cold. He didn’t know how much of a head start his husband had on him. He wasn’t as late back as he had been the previous days, planning to take him to a restaurant, but he still couldn’t find him. If Credence had snuck out the first opportunity he had got, then he could be several hours travel away by now.
He paused when he caught sight of a familiar figure in the entrance to an alleyway. Credence was stood shivering, still wearing the rags he’d brought with him from the orphanage. He hadn’t seen Percival yet. Percival watched as Credence approached a passing man, before being shoved roughly away.
Credence stumbled back in the alleyway, and Percival used a quick twist of his fingers to cast a charm to cushion his fall. Credence didn’t notice. He looked around, and took a step towards Percival before he froze and started to run. Percival could have used a spell to stop him, but instead he ran forwards and wrapped his arms around Credence. Credence was shivering, and trying to jerk away.
“Credence?” Percival asked softly. “I think it’s time for you to come home. Can I take you home?”
Credence closed his eyes and went limp in Percival’s arms, and Percival apparated them home. Credence was shaking worse now, staring at the floor.
“Credence?” Percival gently rested a hand on Credence’s shoulder. “Can you look at me?”
Credence did, and Percival froze as he saw the state of Credence’s lips, red and swollen, his eyes red. Percival wasn’t an idiot. He could tell that Credence had been crying, but he could tell that something else had happened as well. Leaning in slightly, he could smell other men on Credence’s breath. He jerked away from him, getting to his feet and walking a few steps away, fighting down the urge to scream or punch something. Eventually he had got himself under control, and turned back to Credence.
“Well?” There was so much he wanted to scream, but he was determined to give Credence the chance to explain himself.
***
“I was going to be home by six.” Credence whispered, flinching when he heard how hoarse his voice was. That was the truth. He had been planning to get back in time. Mister Graves had never been home before six.
“And… you …thought you’d go and whore yourself out in an alleyway while I was working?” Mister Graves spat. “I … Credence, I had restaurant reservations for tonight. I got home and you weren’t here and I was worried. I thought you’d run away.”
“I was only using my mouth.” Credence whispered, his head ducked down in shame. “I was just-“
“What did you think you were doing?” His husband snarled, his eyes glittering dangerously.
“Getting some money.” Credence murmured. “I… I’m sorry. I was just going to get some money and get back, I wasn’t… I was just using my mouth.”
“If you needed money that badly, you should have asked.” Mister Graves spat, and Credence closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered, looking down. “I … I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.”
“Why… Why did you decide to do that?”
“I don’t have any talents.” Credence mumbled. “I just needed a bit of money. I was going to come back and I didn’t want to worry you.”
“What did you need money for?” Mister Graves asked, and he looked so furious that Credence thought for a moment that he would be beaten and then thrown back into the street.
“The glasses.” Credence whispered, and flinched back as Mister Graves stared at him in horror.
***
“What glasses?” Percival asked, anger bubbling in him even as he tried to understand what was happening.
“The ones in the kitchen.” He murmured. “I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… I was going to buy new ones…”
Suddenly, everything slipped into place, and Percival nearly gagged. Credence had broken a glass, probably throwing some things around in anger, and had felt so terrified of him finding out that he had gone out onto the street to try and get the money to replace them. He paused, knowing he had to work out how to say the next bit.
“Whatever happens, Credence, you don’t need to do that. You need money, you ask for it. I won’t hurt you for making that kind of mistake.”
“You’re angry sir?”
“I am.” Percival admitted. “I’m furious that you went out onto the street rather than come to me. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to hurt you.” He sighed, and reached out to squeeze Credence’s hand. “Don’t… don’t you ever do that again.”
Credence bowed his head and nodded, and Percival tried to force himself to calm down.