The relief of hearing someone answer only lasted until he heard the line click and there was nothing. "Alex?" He looked at the screen to see that it had indeed been hung up. Maybe he'd just done it by accident. He tried again but realized the phone was off now. "....Oh no.." He suddenly felt his gut wrench and had he remembered to eat breakfast when he'd gotten there, he might have actually thrown up. As soon as he got in the cab, he told the man he'd pay him well if he took him to multiple groceries in the are of Alex's apartment complex, making the man wait outside of each one while he searched for the man through the isles and then the bathrooms.

He made quick work of each one, hardly using his crutch and ignoring the pain it caused to walk on his casted leg, he'd probably need to go to the doctor again soon and get it checked and change the cast.

When he came upon a store where a shelf looked slightly disorganized, like someone had hit it, Ash had a horrible feeling he'd found the right one. He looked around and then spotted the sign for the bathroom, hurrying over to it and pushing the door open. "Alex?" He called, his voice cracking slightly. God, if the man was still there, he swore to himself that he'd kick the living shit out of him.

When the man was finished with him he'd left with a word of 'thanks.' Alex was sick to his stomach as the man left, clearing out his small breakfast into the toilet and slumped to the floor when nothing was left. Tears running down his cheeks he reached for his clothes beginning to slip on his pants, and then shirt before he began crying. His finger reached blindly for his cell phone hoping to call Ash until he'd already heard the man's voice.

Knitting his eyebrows in confusion slightly he cowered in his stall when he realized someone else was in the bathroom. He didn't understand how it could be Ashley though, he was at work. Shaking his head he tried to make little sound but he couldn't silence his sniffles, he couldn't break down completely now.. He had to get home first..

Ashley heard the sniffling and he kenw it was too late to stop anything from happening, it was already over. He pushed open the stall slowly again, looking down at Alex. He was so mad at whomever had done this to him, his friend, but he didn't convey it to him. "How long ago...did he leave?" He grit out, part of him hoped that Alex wouldn't tell him the answer--if the man was anywhere near the store or even still in it, he'd chase the bastard down. He was tired of Alex getting hurt because of Jacob's lifestyle.

It pained him to see Alex like this, but he continued to give the man some space. He didn't want to go smother him with comfort, he imagined he'd want some space.

Alex gave a small squeak when the door was pushed open trying to slide as far back as possible. He stared up at Ashley wondering why the man was there at all. He felt sobs begin to try force their way out on the sight of Ashley though, holding back the best of them Alex shook his head slightly.

"I.. I don't know.." Alex choked out staring at the floor now. All he wanted to do was curl up and cry.

That didn't tell him anything, but he shifted and moved in after wetting some paper towels and settled down on his knees as he dropped the crutch. Pulling Alex into his arms, he sat on the bathroom floor with him, resting his head down agianst the man's gently, rubbing his arm. "I'm so sorry, Alex... " He whispered, though there'd been nothing he could have done. He didn't clean him up right away, taking a moment to comfort him, fingers carefully running through Alex's hair.

Alex watched the other man rather nervously. His mind not yet allowing him to believe he could trust him. He flinched away slightly when Ashley pulled him towards him. At Ashley's voice though the frightened spell of him dissipated and he leaned into the man's grasp hiding his face on Ash's shoulder. He burst into sobs hands clutching at Ashley.

Ashley held him close, letting him cry a few minutes before he shifted a little to use the wet paper towel on Alex, gently cleaning him up, his free hand rubbing up and down the man's back. He didn't say anything, just trying to sooth him with tender touches, hugs, trying to make him feel safe with him again. "We'll.. get what you need from the store and go home, okay? I have a cab waiting for us already. " He said against his forehead.

Alex allowed himself to calm down in Ashley's grasp. It seemed almost nice to be comforted from the other man. His blue eyes stared up at Ashley as the man cleaned him up. "O-okay.."

Shifting, he got up slowly, helping his friend up as well and giving his cheek a gentle kiss" He smiled at him gently, trying to continue comforting him as he stroked his hand through his hair. He knew the cab driver would wait for him as he hadn't paid him yet and he owed him quite a bit. He didn't want to wait too long however.

"What all do you need to buy?" He asked before his phone rang, answering it and talking to someone as he let Alex straighten himself out some, frowning a bit as he hung up. "Uhm... Do you mind.. if we go to my place after this? I need to keep working from home--if not, I can always just grab my laptop and go to yours."

Alex stood up shakily, so much more sore than when he'd woke up. His head spun for a moment, head still aching from when he'd hit it. Biting his lip he waited for his vision had cleared.

"Uh.." His fingers went through his pockets pulling out a piece of paper. "I had most of it.."

He waited when Ashley was on the phone. He nodded a bit with a shrug.

"Well... let's find what you had and get what you need so we can go. We'll at least stop at my place.. I haven't been there a while--think rent might be due.." He pondered the last. He'd been slacking lately since he spent most of his time at the office. But he did have things he needed there.

He offered the use of a crutch to Alex so he'd have some support, noticing that he looked a little woozy perhaps.

Alex nodded again, he needed to finish shopping he wasn't about to leave again. "I'm fine.." Alex mumbled at the offered crutch. He looked around before leaving the relative safety of the bathroom.

He'd found his cart where he'd been grabbed. He hurried through the rest of the shopping and was through the cashline. He wanted out of there as fast as possible. If Ash hadn't been there he'd have probably left without completing it.

Ashley walked along with him, trailing behind a bit because of the abuse he'd done to his leg trying to find Alex. He got them out to the cab and gave the man his address so they could go there first--or for the day, it was up to Alex. There no one would bother him, he though it'd be a good place for him to lay low for the day and trying rest up after all the abuse.

WHen they pulled in front of the decent looking complex, Ash looked at Alex curiously. "Do you want to stay here with me a while? Or do you just want me to run in and get things? I have lots of space for the stuff you got today to store until we go back to your place."

"I.. guess.." Alex said softly with another small shrug. He just wanted to get out of public, trusting Ash wouldn't try anything in his own apartment. "I just... want to wash him off of me.."

Ashley nodded and helped carry a bag after paying the man for letting him drag him around. He got them up to his apartment, letting Alex in. It was jsut a small studio, a futon obviously meant to be a bed, blankets and a pillow on it from the last time he stayed at his own place. It was a mess, a few pill bottles, all empty, strewn around, discarded during the day when he stopped by to get the prescription at the pharmacy around the corner. "Sorry it's a mess... There's a shower in the bathroom, go ahead and use it." He pointed him off to the only door leading to another room there was, taking some of the bags to put in the kitchenette that merged into the living room/dinging room/bed room/office. It was anything and everything.

In the bathroom, there were no mirrors, the one that used to be on the medicine cabinet, long removed, leaving the shelves behind it exposed. Alex was the first person to ever lay foot in his studio besides himself, it was awkward and Ashley did make some haste to try and clean up the old bottles and any garbage around the room before he'd set up his compter and papers, sitting on the floor at a small coffee table, a little television over in the corner.

Alex looked around the small studio apartment nervously but his eyes followed where the other man was pointing and nodded. He set the bags he'd been holding down where Ash had left them and moved towards the bathroom. Closing and locking the door behind him he shed his clothes glad that there was no mirror to look at himself in. Starting the water he stepped into the shower letting the hot water spray over his skin and turn it red instantly.

He closed his eyes ignoring the pain of the hot water, he didn't care it was just a fraction below scalding and leaving burns on him. He just wanted the man off him, to wash and burn away the layer the man had touched, paying extra attention to that scar wishing it was possible to scrape it away. Whoever that was to Jacob... it was indeed a long time if he'd truly been the one. He'd had that scar since he was sixteen when it was still a fresh wound..

When he'd finished he dried himself trying hold back further tears as he got dressed again, making a small face. Perhaps his place would have been better he needn't have gotten redressed in these clothes.. Biting his lip he left the bathroom and stood awkwardly as he looked around the studio apartment once more.

"Make yourself at home, Alex." He stated softly as he ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with whatever he was working on. He hated when people had to be difficult with him, he just wanted to get this done, just like them. It wasn't his fault when someone else from a different company didn't have it done in time! "You can watch the television if you want, just keep it down. I don't really have a lot to do around here, sorry. I'm not in here too often.

Alex nodded a bit and headed towards the futon, all he wanted to do was lie down and forget everything that had happened that day. Chewing his lip he lay down his back towards Ashley. He felt tears welling in his eyes again as he lay there silently at first. Soon though he was crying again trying to keep himself silent so he wouldn't disturb Ashley's work.

Ashley could hear the change in Alex's breath as he cried, but because he was trying to be quiet, he didn't bother him, he let him cry it all out. Ash kept working, only getting up when he needed to go to the drafting table he'd shoved over in the corner, buried under papers. After looking to make sure there was nothing of importance on it, he shoved all the papers on it onto the floor in a scattered mess, sat on the stool and worked on what he had in his hands fro work.

He'd work nonstop if Alex let him be, trying to consume him with something other than anger at whomever had harmed Alex like that. He couldn't be angry, he'd drive himself insane.

After a while Alex's tears had dried up but he stayed lying there wishing he could wish himself out of existence leaving his body for Jacob to use 24/7. Sobs still seemed to rack his body though as he forced himself to stay still, his body hurt less that way. After a little time though he'd allowed himself to fall asleep drawing away from the real world. Jacob was used to the feeling of being used anyhow..

Jacob woke slowly, his brow furrowing as he felt rather cramped. Opening his eyes he sat up slowly realizing he didn't know where Alex had fallen asleep. Looking around slowly as the pains of his body began to register themselves with him he spotted Ashley. It seemed to be enough to answer his initial question of where he was. Wiping at his eyes he looked at his fingers that had come away wet, realizing Alex had been crying.

He stood up and walked over to Ashley laying a hand gently on his shoulder. "What happened..?"

Ashley nearly jumped when a hand touched hsi shoulder, forgetting that Alex was there in the first place, surprised to hear him and by what was being said, he assumed it must have been Jacob now. His head turned carefully to look up at Jacob, furrowing his brow as he looked away again to his work. "Someone jumped him at the store. I dunno who, but it wasn't Andrew." He stated softly, sketching a moment more before he set his pencil down and sighed.

Jacob sighed hands wiping at his cheeks to remove what he could without going to wash his face. He didn't know what to say really, if it wasn't Andrew it could have been anyone who knew him. His eyes focused on the work Ash had been working on and gave a small smile.

"Apologize to him for me.. would you?" Jacob said after a moment's thought, it was his fault - indirectly anyhow. "I'll leave you to your work then.."

"I.. I will." He murmured, turning in the stool to gently take one of Jacob's hands when he said he'd leave him to his work. "No. I need a break... I'll go sit with you." He slid off of the stool, wincing a little. He'd been going around without his crutches again and now that he'd sat for a while, it occured to him just how sore his leg was after that.

Jacob paused when his hand was grabbed and he smiled at the shorter man. A concerned look came across his face as he noticed the wince. "You alright?"

Jacob stepped closer and lifted Ashley within his arms and carried him back towards the sofa. He hadn't spotted the crutches around him and seemed to have gotten his answer as to why his lover was in pain. He sat down and settled Ashley in his lap gently running a hand over Ashley's leg. There was nothing he could do for the smaller man's leg, but he didn't like seeing him in pain.

Ashley gasped as he was picked up, grasping gently at Jacob as he was carried to the couch and settled into the man's lap. He let him rub at his leg a bit, resting his head quietly against his lover's shoulder. Shifting after a few more moments like that, he gave Jacob a gentle kiss on the lips. "Mm.. Did your night go well last night?" He asked softly, playing with some of Jacob's hair.