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Cook really didn’t want to be at a party and he sure as hell didn’t want it to be happening in his house. Okay, so it was only a few close friends and the tour had been over for a week and they had yet to celebrate its success but that didn’t mean he was in the mood for company. Although he was pretty sure it was his mood that had convinced Neal and that traitor Johns to team up and force him into some sort of sociability. He glared at the men in question as they chatted over a few beers across the room. Michael’s arm was around Stacey and the three of them were in deep conversation. Occasionally one of them would throw a glance his way but they were trying so hard to make it look like they weren’t keeping an eye on him that he decided not to call them on it. Carly was sat next to him chatting away, about what he wasn’t sure, and regularly calling something over to Todd who was sitting on the other couch and playing the new Mario Kart with Andy, Joey and Kyle.
Hearing the doorbell ring David excused himself from the conversation that he wasn’t really taking part in. He didn’t bother looking through the peephole because whoever had made it to his front door obviously knew the code to the gate at the front of his house. Pulling the door open he saw a small figure facing away from him. The figure was wearing a jumper with the hood pulled up, a pair of trainers and some rather filthy jogging bottoms.
David gave a small cough to alert the person of his presence although why he hadn’t heard the door was beyond him. The figure slowly turned round and David could just about make out the features of the face under the hood. He reached out and ever so gently lifted the person’s head so that he was looking him in the eye and quickly sucked in a breath at the sight before him. Through the dirt that caked the face he could still see the fading bruise near the mouth and the vivid purple that surrounded the left eye.
“Archie!”
The fearful eyes of the younger man rose to meet his.
“Cook.”
As soon as the word left his mouth David saw Archie's eyes roll up in the back of his head and his body begin its decent towards the ground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One Week Earlier
“David. Over here.”
“David Cook what are you comments on the Archuleta situation?”
“Did you know about the drugs?”
“Do you know where David is?”
“How long has David been using?”
“What did you think of the pictures?”
“Do you believe the Archuleta’s?
Cook had been pushing his way through the paparazzi trying to ignore the constant stream of questions yelled his way. Andy’s hand on his shoulder and Neal’s solid presence beside him helping lend him the strength he needed. Joey and Kyle had already headed into the venue, going ahead to make sure that there was no one waiting inside to ambush David.
“Have you heard from Archuleta?”
“Did you introduce David to drugs?”
Before either Andy or Neal could stop him David had spun to face the ‘journalist’.
“No I fucking did not!”
“They’re not worth it Dave.” Neal’s quiet voice in his ear was enough to make David continue towards the building.
Picking up the pace they made it inside without answering any further questions. They headed to the dressing room without being stopped by anyone else, not even having to let anyone know they had arrived. Joey and Kyle had taken care of everything for them. Entering the dressing room they could see the rest of their band mates were already there. David slammed the door shut behind them before sliding down it to sit on the floor. David placed his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands.
He couldn’t stop thinking of the story currently on the front of every newspaper in the country. He tried to imagine how events had gone down from what he’d read. He could almost hear the sound of fighting from inside the Archuleta house in Utah. The police arriving but not finding any sign of a fight. The paparazzo that had been tuned into the police radio station deciding to stick around. Half an hour later a van pulling up and two men going to the door. A few minutes later them emerging from the house supporting, no, dragging Archie between them with Jeff and a crying Lupe looking on from the doorway. Archie beginning to struggle as they threw him into the back of van.
David had read Jeff’s story of discovering his son had succumbed to the “bad elements of the Hollywood lifestyle” as he called it. Of finding his “precious son” taking drugs. Jeff's tale of the fight that followed as he tried to deny what he was doing. Of lying to the police so that his son wouldn’t get arrested and finally, of calling a rehab centre to come and pick his son up from the house so that he can “get the help he needs to find his way again”.
But what Cook really couldn’t stop thinking about was the images that had accompanied the story. Pictures of Archie barely conscious being almost entirely supported by two men three times his size; blood running down the side of his face, bruises beginning to appear around his eye and mouth. And the second photo, with him obviously struggling to get away from the men holding him as they forced him into a plain white van, the fear obvious in his eyes.
Cook felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Andy crouching in front of him.
“It’ll be alright.”
“How?”
“I don’t know, but it will be. The kid’s stronger than he looks.”
“Archie’s never taken drugs in his life.”
“Of course he hasn’t.” Both men looked at Neal as he spoke. “We know that, you know that, everyone who knows him knows that.”
“They don’t out there.”
“Who gives a shit what they know.”
“He will.”
“Well when we find him, and we will find him, we’ll make sure that he doesn’t.”
David looked back down at his feet.
“He’s been missing for 2 days. I’ve tried calling the house, no one will speak to me.”
“He’ll contact you.” David didn’t look up this time when Neal spoke.
“How do you know that?”
“Because this thing you have going with him, this unspoken thing that you’ll never act on because you’re an idiot, this goes both ways. He’ll call you, trust me.”
There wasn’t much he could say in the face of such determination so instead David stayed quiet. He had a concert to prepare for. It was the last stop on his tour and he had promised himself that he wouldn’t mess it up because of everything else that was going on. He would put his entire focus into this last show. But after that he would head back to Los Angeles, back to his house, and he wasn’t going to move until he knew for sure where Archie was and that he was alright. Picking himself off of the floor David moved over to his guitar, picked it up and started tuning it. He didn’t need to, he knew a roadie was going to sort it out, but it calmed him down and made him feel better. It also had the side effect of taking his mind off of the younger man who had taken up permanent residence in his thoughts. He would see that the younger David was okay, he needed the Archie to be okay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Present Day
As soon as the word left Archie’s mouth Cook saw his eyes roll up in the back of his head and his body begin its decent towards the ground. Cook reached out and grabbed the younger man, stopping his fall by scooping him into his arms. Turning around still in shock from his unexpected visitor he was unsurprised to see Neal and Michael standing in the hallway behind him. Taking one look at the bundle in his arms Neal made his way back into the living room where their friends were. David could hear his voice from where he was standing.
“Alright, everyone needs to leave. Party’s over.”
David didn’t take the time to listen to everyone’s response as he started to make his way up the stairs towards the bedrooms. He was aware of Michael’s presence behind him but only saw him when he opened the door to the spare room so that Cook could enter. Moving into the room he waited for Michael to pull back the bed covers before gently placing the younger David onto the bed.
The sound of feet running up the stairs could be heard seconds before Carly burst into the room.
“He’s here? Is he alright? Where’s he been? What happened?”
She quickly moved towards the bed and before he could stop himself Cook stepped in front of her blocking her way. She glared briefly at him before he moved out of the way. Kneeling down next to the bed she ran a hand through the still unconscious man’s hair.
“I don’t know Carly. He passed out pretty much as soon as I opened the door.”
Neal appeared in the doorway.
“The others have left.” He turned address Michael and Carly. “Todd’s going to drive Stacey home, they figured you would both want to stay here.” Michael nodded in ascent but his eyes never left the body on the bed. “I’m going to head off now Dave. Call me if you need anything. I’ll make sure the others give you at least 3 days before heading back over.”
“Thanks.” The reply was quiet and subdued but Neal reckoned it was better than nothing. Heading back out of the bedroom Neal left the four alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was Michael who first regained his senses. He took in the sight before him and realised that he would need to be the one to take charge.
“Carly, I need you to go downstairs and find something easy to eat. Preferably some form of soup but if Dave doesn’t have anything like that than improvise.”
Carly looked at him, tears in her eyes.
“He’s going to be hungry when he wakes up and I don’t think he’d appreciate anything either of us” he motions to himself and Cook “are able to make.”
Carly lent down and gave the dirty forehead a quick kiss before leaving the room.
“Dave.” There was no response from the man standing staring at the form on the bed. Michael moved towards the inert figure. “Mate?” This time Cook did respond. “I need to know where the first aid kit is?”
“In the main bathroom under the sink.”
“Thanks. You need to undress him and get him in some warm and clean clothes.”
“Nothing I have will fit him.”
“It doesn’t matter, anything other than what he’s wearing will be good.” Again there was no response. “Are you going to be able to do that?” Cook looked at him.
“I’m not the one passed out on the bed covered in bruises!”
“I know, but he’s not got to do anything other than be here and he’s already doing that. So why don’t you pull yourself together so that we can place all the worry back where it’s needed. He’s going to need you when he wakes up.”
“He might want to be alone.”
“He’s been missing for over a week and it’s your house he turns up at. I think that’s a pretty obvious statement of who he trusts don’t you.”
Not waiting for a response Michael walked out of the bedroom and made his way to the main bathroom. He avoided his reflection in the mirror because he was pretty sure it wouldn’t be pretty. Cook wasn’t the only one that had been worried since David had gone missing. Michael hadn’t gotten much sleep himself. He might not be best friends with the kid but that didn’t mean he wanted anything bad to happen to him and, well, quite frankly pigs would fly before he believed a word out of Jeff Archuleta’s mouth. So he hadn’t for a second believed that Archie had become addicted to drugs and been taken to a rehab centre for his own good. But that left him in the position of not knowing where the kid was and that was worse. Finding the first aid box he made his way back to the bedroom to see that David had succeeded in finding some clothes for the younger man but had yet put them on him.
Moving to the bed Michael placed the box on the edge and started to remove one of Archie’s shoes. David quickly followed his actions and quietly and gently they undressed Archie until he was wearing only his boxers. Looking down at the grime and bruises covering his body Michael wasn’t sure he wanted to know where he had been for the past week. Luckily, seeing the damage to their friend had caused David to pull himself together and he grabbed the first aid box from the bed. Opening it he took out some disinfectant wipes and antibiotic cream.
“I’m going to go and check on Carly.” Michael didn’t expect a response and he didn’t get one.
He watched for a second as David oh so carefully started cleaning and caring for the younger man before turning around and leaving them in peace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a few hours since his surprise guest had turned up and Cook sat on a chair in his living room. Carly and Michael had fallen asleep on his two sofas but he couldn’t bring himself to rest. Archie had woken as he was helping him into the extra large T-Shirt he’d found for him to wear. After a brief look of terror passed through his eyes Archie had realised where he was and the shutters had gone up. Cook had managed to convince him that he should eat something and they had made their way down into the kitchen together. Carly had found some left over chicken and had made chicken broth. David wasn’t sure how she had managed it with the contents of his fridge but she had.
Archie had tucked into the food like he hadn’t eaten in days. From how light he had been when David had picked him up David wasn’t totally sure that he had. After he had finished eating Archie had released such a loud yawn that David had quickly led him back upstairs and to the bed in his spare room. He had so many questions but he realised that this was not the time to ask them. Archie had barely lain down before he had fallen asleep again.
David looked over at the two friends still in the room and suddenly remembered everyone else that he should inform of Archie’s return. He knew for a fact that Castro and Brooke had been beside themselves with worry. Both had cancelled appearances claiming that they simply couldn’t perform in the state they were in. David wondered if he’d had more than one final show after he’d received the news of Archie’s disappearance if he’d have been able to go on. He doubted it very much.
Neal had been right that night in the dressing room. His feelings for Archie did go deeper than friendship and not in a brotherly way. He had never thought of acting on them, not because Archie was straight because he wasn’t, but because Archie already had a boyfriend. When Archie had come out to him and Jason during the tour neither of them had been surprised. Archie had asked them politely not to inform anyone else and had told them of Donny, his boyfriend back home. Donny was another kid from his church and neither of them had told anyone around them. Archie had gushed about how much of a relief it was to be able to tell someone finally and when Donny had made it out to see the show he and Jason had made sure that they got some privacy.
Of course, Archie already having a boyfriend meant that Neal had also been wrong, his feelings were not reciprocated. It was hard but he didn’t mind too much, not as long as Archie was happy. And hell, he’d been touring enough recently that he’d definitely managed to experience a little of the rock’n’roll lifestyle. He couldn’t do the drugs because of his blood pressure but he could definitely have a little fun with the other aspects. And if none of flings became a real relationship, well, he simply didn’t have time for that anyway. He was never in the same place for long enough and he was sure he would be pretty awful at a long distance relationship. But Archie had been this untouchable force in his life for a few years now, and he’d been an untouchable adult for at least part of that. Ignoring his feelings had been getting harder and harder. But now here he was with Archie battered and bruised upstairs and Carly and Johns asleep downstairs and everything had gotten so complicated. He just wanted to know what had happened and then he would work out how they would deal with it.
Making a decision he decided he would, kindly, kick the elder two of his guests out of his house in the morning and get some answers out of the younger. Quietly getting out of the chair he made his way up the stairs and into his bedroom. He grabbed the bedding and pillow before heading along to the spare room. Looking at the figure on the bed he lent down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. Moving to the foot of the bed he deposited the bedding on the floor, laid down, and fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David and Archie sat in the kitchen eating breakfast. It was gone 2:00pm but both had slept past midday so they’d had a conversation and decided that cereal could be consumed at anytime of day and you could still call it breakfast if you’d only just woken up. David had woken first and, after politely but firmly asking Michael and Carly to leave with a promise that they could come back that evening, had showered, changed and gotten ready for the day. When 1:00pm had come and gone and there had still been no sight of Archie he had collected some clean clothes and a towel for him and gone back into the spare room. Walking over to the bed he’d deposited the clothes and towel on a chair and then proceeded to gently wake the younger man.
Now they were sitting in silence eating. David found the silence unnerving but didn’t break it. When they had finished he silently collected their bowls and placed them in the dishwasher. Walking over to Archie he placed his hands on his shoulders and moved them both into the living room. Making the younger man sit on the couch next to him he put an arm around his shoulder and pulled Archie into a hug. The strength with which he was gripped back surprised him, as did the tremors that he could feel running through the younger man. After the body he was holding had relaxed a bit he manoeuvred them on the sofa so that he was leaning against the armrest with his legs up on the seats and Archie was sitting in between his legs, back and head resting on his chest.
They sat there in silence for a few minutes before a quiet voice came out from the body leaning on him.
“I haven’t been taking drugs.”
“I know you haven’t.”
“The papers said…”
“I didn’t believe them.”
David lent down and pressed a kiss on the head in front of him in reassurance.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“Not to get all Sound of Music on you but start at the beginning.”
A soft giggle emanated from the younger man and David felt a small surge of pride at being the person to illicit the response. It felt like years since he’d heard that noise.
“I was in my bedroom when Dad called me into the family room. He and Mom were just sitting there looking really serious. They said…they said they’d just had a phone call…from Donny’s parents. They’d just found some magazines in his room…”
It was taking Archie a while to get the words out and they were so quiet that David had to strain to hear them but he didn’t want to interrupt. He was worried that if he did Archie would never finish.
“…they’d questioned him and he’d admitted to being gay. He didn’t mention me, we broke up months ago…”
David didn’t know that piece of information.
“…but his parents remembered all the time we’d spent together and thought that mine might need warning. Dad said…he said that they’d always wondered but that he thought I knew enough not to act on it…that I understood God enough not to…not to commit that sin…”
“Archie it’s not a sin.”
“I know that Cook, I was quoting him.”
Archie gave pat to his hand, turned his head, and sent a quick reassuring smile his way. David couldn’t believe that he was the one being comforted when it should have been the other way round. He gave a gentle squeeze to the body he was holding in response.
“I…we argued about it, Mom just sat there crying. Then he…he started hitting me. It was such a surprise that I didn’t get time to respond before it was too late. He was yelling things, horrible things, and then he grabbed me and threw me into the pantry and locked the door.”
David had to pay attention to keep his breathing calm. The last thing he wanted was to upset the younger man anymore than he already was. Sure, he wanted to rip out Jeff Archuleta’s throat at the moment but letting that anger take control would help no one, especially not the man in his arms. The man who was currently struggling out of his arms and turning round so that he could face him.
“I tried to fight I did, you have to believe me Cook. Heck I think I even hit him but he’s so much bigger than me and….well…he’s my father. You can’t really hit your own father can you? I mean, that would be wrong and ungrateful and…I uh, I just wish it had been someone else, someone I could have fought back against you know?”
No he didn’t. He’d have quite happily punched the fucker out without feeling the slightest bit of remorse. But this was not what Archie wanted, or needed, to hear.
“Yeah I know Arch. You did all you could. Don’t ever doubt that.”
He could see Archie searching his eyes for any hint that he was lying so he made sure that all he could see was love and affection. Apparently satisfied Archie turned back round and settled himself again.
“So I was in the pantry and it was a bit later, I’m not sure how long I uh, I think I lost consciousness for a bit, but the door unlocked and these two men came in. They grabbed me and started pulling me out of the house. We got to a van and I started to struggle but, well, I wasn’t feeling all that great at the time and everything still hurt so, so I wasn’t very good at it. But we got in the van and then we drove. I…I think I fell asleep, maybe I passed out, because it was dark when the door opened. I didn’t know where we were but…there was…there was this big…this huge…”
Now Cook could hear the hitches in the breath, could feel body shudder. He remembered Archie’s embarrassment at being caught crying on camera twice during their days on Idol. He knew his belief that he shouldn’t be seen crying. Well, that wasn’t a belief Cook held as pretty much the entire country could attest to.
“Hey, hey now, it’s okay. Cry all you want baby it’s not a weakness.”
“I didn’t cry once, not all week. I wanted to, I really did but…but…I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction.”
Cook was pretty sure he now knew what was going to be said but he wanted to hear it. And he thought that Archie probably needed to say it.
“Where were you?”
“It was a…it was a reprogramming facility…they were trying to make me not be gay.”
Archie let out a harsh laugh at the idea.
“As if it’s that easy! As if I’d want to change. I’m quite happy as I am thank you very much!”
Cook couldn’t help but smile at the strength in the words. Archie had always been quietly confident in who he was and it was good to hear that that confidence hadn’t been broken.
“And so you should be.”
“You should be too you know.”
“Huh?”
“You should be happy with who you are Cook. You’re….you’re wonderful and you…you should know it.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it. I think you’re wonderful and awesome and kind and funny even when you’re not and gosh, you’re voice is amazing and just…well just everything.”
Cook gave the man he was holding a confused look. He couldn’t quite understand where this was coming from but he wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to let the young man know he felt the same.
“Well I think you’re perfect as well.”
“Thank you but I wasn’t…you know…fishing.”
“I know I just thought it needed saying.”
David went to place another kiss on the head in front of him but the head turned suddenly and he caught the ear instead. Archie looked up at him intensely for a moment before making the smallest of nodding motions, as if he’d decided something, scooting round on his lap again (and if he keeps doing that he’s going to feel exactly how much Cook thinks he’s perfect), leaning up and giving David a quick peck on the lips. Stunned into inaction David could only watch as the younger man drew quite an impressive blush before turning back round and repositioning himself again.
Archie seemed to gain some strength from the kiss and very quickly continued talking, taking Cook’s attention off of the kiss he’d just received and back onto the reason they were there in the first place.
“There was this room in the building and I was sat on a chair and they gave me a lecture about why I was there. How they were going to save me from the Devil and lead me back to God and just all this stuff about homosexuality and how bad it was. Then…I don’t…there was a doctor who checked Dad hadn’t broken anything and then a room and for the next week…I just…I didn’t know that you were allowed to do that sort of thing Cook.”
David’s worry and anger had been beginning to rise again as Archie had been speaking. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, wasn’t sure how he could cope with knowing, but surely it was better he know than not know right?
“Do what Arch?”
When Archie did speak everything tumbled out of his mouth so quickly that David struggled to keep up. David thought it sounded as if once it started coming Archie had been unable to stop it. It was a poison that he needed to get out of his system as soon as possible.
“I got given some clothes, exactly like the ones I was wearing when I arrived but they took my shoes. They…they put me in this tiny room with a sink and a toilet and a speaker and nothing else…not even a bed, just a mattress on the floor and they…they kept quoting Bible verses at me through the speaker and they would play really loud noises and then it would get completely silent and…and if I started to fall asleep the noise would start again and gosh I’m not sure I slept all week. It felt like I didn’t sleep all week. And I’d get food but at weird times so I never knew the time. And then…then after a week when…when…when I…”
“When what baby?” David spoke incredibly softly, not wanting to startle the younger man.
“When I’d started to believe when they were telling me.” Archie sounded ashamed of the fact that he’d even begun to consider it.
“That’s not your fault. That’s what they were trying to do. They were brainwashing you Arch. It is NOT your fault.”
“I’m not so sure. But…well…I didn’t completely believe it. I remembered what you and Jason said when I told you and how accepting you both were and well, well I trust you a lot more than them.”
“That’s good to know.” David smiled.
“But after a week, they told me it was a week, they moved me to a bigger room with a bed and they gave me shoes and clean clothes. But I’d been watching as we walked and I’d noticed a small hole in one of the fences and at dinnertime, because I was allowed to eat with everyone else, I escaped and I know that sounds ridiculous because how could I after only one day but I was so desperate to get out and to be honest I think it was more luck than planning because, heh, there wasn’t any planning. There was just me and running and being chased and a really lovely family not too far away that grabbed me as ran by and hid me in their house and gosh I should find out who they are and thank them.”
“Hang on, slow down a sec here. Did you say a family grabbed you and took you in?”
“Yeah.”
“Did they know about the place?”
“Yeah, they were next door…I mean that was a way away because of the forest around the building but yeah.”
“And they do nothing about it?”
“Cook, most people are there voluntarily. It’s not illegal to go somewhere like that.”
“But kidnapping is!!!”
“Well yes….but…look they took me in, gave me some cash and placed me on a bus and they didn’t have to so please let it go.”
“So you got a bus to LA.”
“Well no. I wanted to make it hard to follow me so I took a bus to Washington and then hitched to LA.”
“YOU DID WHAT!!!”
David forcefully turned Archie round to face him. He kept his hands clamped firmly on his shoulders.
“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THAT WAS???”
“I got here fine.”
“You might not have. You could have been killed and dumped by the roadside and I’d never have known!”
“But I wasn’t.”
“That’s not the point.”
David could see that Archie was visibly getting upset but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. All the worry of the past week was unleashing itself on the wrong target but he couldn’t stop the mental images of what could have happened on the younger man’s journey to LA.
“How could you have been so naïve?”
“Well I was scared and tired and not thinking straight and I’d barely slept and all I could think was I had to get to you!”
David took a deep breath; he really didn’t want to upset Archie any more than he already was.
“Why didn’t you call me? I’d have come and picked you up.”
“I was in Washington.”
“I’d have driven anywhere.”
“I know. I just…I don’t know okay, I don’t know why I didn’t but I didn’t. But I’m here, and I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.”
“I really am.”
“Arch…”
“Seriously Cook. I was scared, heck I was terrified, and it was the worst week of my life but I’m here and you’re here and I’m stronger than people give me credit for.”
“I know you are.”
“And you’re not going anywhere are you?”
“You couldn’t fucking move me if you tried.”
“Language.”
“Sorry.”
David stared into the face in front of him. He started to move forward but stopped before he got too close.
“You can kiss me if you want.”
“I don’t want to rush you.”
“Gosh Cook, I’ve had a crush on you since you sung ‘Hello’.”
“But you were with Donny.”
“I was, and I loved him, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t look. And I’m not with Donny now and I’ve been through a traumatic experience and I think a little comfort would help.”
“Wow, I didn’t know you could be manipulative Archuleta.”
“I’m not as innocent as everyone thinks you know.”
“Maybe you’re not. But I still think we should take this slowly.”
“Gosh David. I’m not asking you to…you know…have sex with me. I just want a kiss.”
“Well I suppose that I can do.”
David leaned forward and kissed the younger man. He felt a hand in his hair as Archie pulled him closer still. When they broke apart both were smiling.
“Jason’s going to be so smug about this.” David didn’t understand what Archie was talking about.
“Huh?”
“He’s been telling me to ask you out for months, even before me and Donny broke up.”
Suddenly the thought hit Cook like a train.
“Shit Jason!!”
“Jason what?”
“He’s been worried sick. You have to let him know you’re safe, him and Brooke.”
Archie was silent for a while.
“I’ll call Jason but you can’t tell Brooke.”
“David she’s frantic.”
“She…she might not approve. She might think that I should have stayed…she might contact my parents!”
“David…”
“No Cook, not yet. I’ll tell her but…but I can’t take that at the moment. But I will call Jason.”
Cook let out a sigh. He was suddenly very tired.
“Okay, I don’t agree with it but it’s your choice.”
“It is.”
David moved Archie off of his lap and stood up. He grabbed the phone and handed it to Archie.
“He’s number 11 on the speed dial.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael looked at the couple on the couch and the camera’s that surrounded them. It had been 2 months since Archie had turned up during the ‘Make David Interact With People Party’ that he and Neal had put together. Archie was being interviewed by Ellen in David’s, well, their house. He wanted the truth out there and they had thought that Ellen was the obvious person to talk to. After hearing what the interview would be about she had been willing to take her cameras to the house so that he would be more comfortable. They’d been going at the interview for about 40 minutes by now. Michael had stayed in the room as the interview was taking place. He had been told what had happened and he knew David would be there to support Archie but he wanted to make sure there was another friendly face in the room as well.
The interview stopped as a crash came from the kitchen. Everyone in the room turned to the noise and saw Jason running into the room covered in flour. He ran up to Michael and hid behind him.
“It was an accident I promise!!”
“JASON!!!”
A very irate Carly appeared, also covered in flour.
“It slipped!”
“You threw it at me!”
“I…”
“Dude you definitely threw it.” Neal appeared in the doorway, not covered in flour but with a small amount on his T-Shirt and a beer in his hand. Brooke stood beside him.
“Brooke tickled me, it was an instinctual reaction.”
“I was pulling your dreads out of the way.”
“It tickled.”
Carly huffed and walked back into the kitchen muttering about having to go out and buy more flour for the cake. Brooke shot Neal a grin before also retreating to the kitchen. Michael was happy that they had managed to talk Archie into telling Brooke everything. And he was relieved when she had reacted like they all expected her to and been nothing but supportive. To be honest, he hadn’t been too sure what her reaction would be but Carly had told him he was being an idiot and to under no circumstances tell Archie of his worries.
He could hear a sniggering coming from behind him.
“If you’ve gotten flour on me Castro you’re going to live to regret it.”
“Um…of course I haven’t…I’m just going to go now.”
And with that Jason rushed up the stairs and out of Michael’s reach. Sure he could follow him but that would take energy that he just couldn’t be bothered to use. He saw Ellen grinning in his direction before turning back to the Davids.
“So, you seem to have come out of this as strong and positive as ever. How have you managed to do that?”
“Well I have great friends.”
“Obviously.”
“And when you have someone who really loves you, no matter what, well, it gives you a reason to be positive. It gave me a reason to not dwell on it. I have a nightmare and he’s there. I get scared at all and he’s there. He stopped letting me get away with refusing to leave the house after the first month. He just…you know…he’s stubborn and he’s just Cook.”
Michael couldn’t help the grin that spread on his face as Archie shrugged at his own answer and David smiled at him.
“So you’re saying. If you have to go through something horrible, make sure you have David Cook there.”
“Well not the real David Cook cause he’s…you know…mine.”
David, Michael and Ellen all laughed at that but Michael watched as David lent towards Archie and captured his lips in a gentle kiss.
“Oh, I’m definitely yours.”