19

 "Still rocking the mullet, huh?" Austin would've been lying if he said that he expected Mitch appearing in the kitchen, drinking coffee with his wife. But despite the first shock - which was written all over his face so obviously that Mitch started to feel uncomfortable and kind of unwanted – he did his best and let things happen, beginning them with a compliment.

Mitch smiled.

Suddenly the world felt a little bit more in place. No comments on the bags under his eyes or on his mental health so far. Austin was used to strangeness. What's more, he was loving it. That was the reason they were getting along so well – normally they were chasing the extraordinariness so when it has found them, they weren't unprepared. Or at least Austin wasn't.

However, despite everything... Something just wasn't right. Austin carefully placed the grocery bags on the counter, and the silence was only filled with the rustling of paper. No words, no feelings. It was all empty. There was distance between them.

Suddenly Mitch felt somehow nauseous again. He exactly remembered how he was behaving last time they saw each other and he was sure as hell that Austin did, too. How could he expect any help after acting that rude to him? He could've just been honest the entire time. Now it was too late.

His throat was tight. Tears burned his eyes. His muscles were tense and his stomach hurt. They meant nothing and everything at the same time. He hasn't been relaxed or happy in weeks, though this time the feelings he was used to felt different. They came from fear and regret. Fear that he was going to lose the only person that could possibly believe him and regret that it was all his fault.

"Are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out. Mitch?"

Kelly stood up to get some water – seriously, what kind of magic drink people thought it was? Like drinking a glass of water could wash all your troubles away. Are you depressed? Drink more water. Anxious? Water. The answer is always a glass of water. With this thought Mitch was a bit distracted of the current problem but he quickly returned to feeling guilty after Kelly softly smiled at him. Maybe the water itself didn't help but the intentions behind the glass on the table could.

"I'm going to give you two some place," Kelly whispered and with that, she left.

It was only the two of them in the kitchen. Austin sat down in the front of Mitch, his forehead slightly wrinkled. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something but then changed his mind and reached out to put his palm on Mitch's fist instead. The touch was unexpected. "You know, when I told you that you could turn to me with anything, I meant it," Austin spoke finally. His stare was honest and curious. He was listening. Mitch let out the breath he didn't notice he was holding. Now or never. "Someone is stalking me." He said it. He really did. It felt like his heart was skipping a beat while he was waiting for an answer that could possibly change everything. "Stalking you?" Austin furrowed his brows and leaned back on the chair. "Like on social media? Or stalking like following you in real life?" "The second one. He came into my house at least three times. He knows where I'm living, he knows my number, he knows Beau's number- He knows everything. I have no idea how." "Holy crap, this is mental. Did you tell anyone?" "I tried but- They don't believe me."

They never did. Even when the evidence was right there – the note telling that he was going to kill Mitch or himself in Mitch's home – somehow no one thought that it was something to be worried about.

Mitch felt numb. Austin was sitting in the front of him with the most shocked expression on his face Mitch had ever seen, yet he didn't feel that Austin could possibly help him. Why did he even try? His chest felt tight again as the tears welled up his eyes. Was there any chance of escaping? He was searching for someone to listen so desperately and now that he has found it, he wasn't relieved at all.

He was going to hurt Austin if he gets to know about this.

Fuck, how had he not think about that before?!

But he couldn't leave just now. Austin already knows some parts of the story.

"Mitch? Is it really that bad? I promise that I won't question a word you say, just please say something," Austin tried. He didn't really understand what was happening. If someone was acting that serious, why did no one try to help Mitch and why did he keep such an important thing in secret? Why did Mitch stop talking? He came here to ask for support, didn't he? Austin has been talking with Scott and Beau, too. Why hadn't they mention anything about this stalker-thing?

"I can't really say much, he's going to harass you," Mitch spoke finally. Austin snorted. "I don't give a single fuck about that. I just want you to tell me what's going on so we can try and fix it."

Fix it. Was there anything that could be fixed? Preforming and going home, the two main parts of his life were completely destroyed. He was pretty sure he could never do either of them again without feeling in danger. These two used to be his happy places, now they were surrounded by darkness and only caused fear.

They were living in a strange world. How could anyone have the thought of stalking and chasing after someone?

"Can we just- Could we do something instead? I just want to forget everything at least for a while." Mitch looked down at his hands on the table. He didn't even know what else to say.

Some part of the story felt so surreal that he wasn't even sure it actually happened to him. Dissociation as his psychiatrist called it back in the days he started visiting her. It could be a 'side effect' of panic attacks- or trauma. Mitch hasn't had a traumatic past, his family was nice, he had loving and loyal friends so he never really had to deal with any mental health issues due to that. At least never before.

"Mitch? You're zoning out," Austin warned him, his forehead still wrinkled. Now that he gained back Mitch's attention, he continued talking. "Of course we can do something relaxing but I'm not done with you yet. Were going to figure out a solution, I promise."

It should've made him calmer but all Mitch felt was numbness.

They ended up listening to a podcast and searching for some inspiration to make another photoshoot. As usually, Austin was full of ideas. Mitch felt so exhausted that he couldn't really come up with anything but seemingly that didn't bother his friend.

At some point his phone rang. It was a number he didn't know. He was just staring at the screen, debating if he should pick it up or not. He could feel Austin's curious stare on him. The phone didn't stop ringing, so Mitch took the courage and pressed the green icon. "Hello?" "Los Angeles Fire Department. We were informed that you're out of your home. Someone has called us to report a case of fire at your property and the firemen are on their way. Do you know about someone that could possibly be inside your house at this moment?"

***

The road back home was blurry for Mitch's senses. Austin was driving and he was clearly above the speed limit.

There was a high chance that Beau was inside. He wasn't from Los Angeles so he had nowhere to go on his own unless he chose a strange timing to explore the city. Mitch tried to reach him on his phone but he didn't pick up. He tried to call him once again and then again but no response came, making him terrified. "Mitch, he's going to be alright. He probably left the house as soon as he could without taking his phone which would absolutely make sense." Mitch didn't know if he could believe him.

The firemen, the smoke, the noises, it was all too much for him to take. As soon as the car stopped, he stumbled out of the vehicle and started running, frantically shouting Beau's name, blinded by fear. His brain didn't even process what he was doing. A fireman grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back when he got too close to the building and he started talking but Mitch interrupted him. "Where the fuck is my boyfriend?! Let me go! I have to find him!" "Sir, the house was empty, there's no need to go inside. We've already put out the fire and-" "Are you fucking deaf?! I said let me go! Where is Beau?!" Mitch was trying hard to escape but someone grabbed his other wrist, holding him back. "Let me go!" "Baby, it's me! Mitch, calm down!"

Beau's firm voice was unexpected. He pulled Mitch into a hug from behind, practically holding him down until he was able to take a deep breath and realize that his partner wasn't in danger as he thought. He turned around and in the exact moment he saw Beau's face, he broke down. "Shh, it's okay- I know, everything is just too much, right? But things are going to be alright, I promise," he murmured into Mitch's ear but he wasn't too convinced anymore. He was tired of all this shit going on.