Simon didn't know what made him do it, maybe it was the obvious panic or the desperation, but he nodded and shut his phone, putting it back in his pocket. "Okay, I won't call an ambulance, but you’re coming home with me."

Red nodded meekly and Simon took another look at him now that his eyes had adjusted and he could actually see something besides basics. It looked like those three years at medical school were going to pay off.

Red's pants were down around his knees and his shirt was ripped open. His hair was tangled and matted with the water from the alley and he was covered with forming bruises as well as cuts, but luckily they looked shallow. He leaned forwards, still on his haunches, and grabbed the waist band of Red’s jeans and, as gently as he could, pulled them up around his waist. He didn’t bother closing them, knowing that that would be painful for Red because he only ever wore tight pants. Red just let him, staying still. He ignored the shreds of the shirt and gently turned him over before placing an arm below his knees and around his shoulders.

Red instantly stiffened and snapped, “I can walk by myself!”

Simon ignored him and raised himself up, Red in his arms. He was surprisingly light. “Bloody hell, do you ever eat?” he asked looking down at Red

“Yes!” he snapped irritably.

“Testy aren’t you?”

“Wouldn’t you be?” he asked quietly.

Simon looked away and subsided. There were a few moments of silence while Simon walked before he asked hesitantly, “What happened?”

Red once again stiffened before asking softly, “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Perhaps that wasn’t the best question. Do you know who did this?”

Red dropped his eyes and muttered, “No.”

Simon sighed at the obvious lie but decided no to push it for now.

He reached his car and stopped, wondering how he was going to get his keys. Red solved the problem for him by wrapping his arms around his neck and freeing one of his arms. Simon opened the door and settled Red in the back seat, safety belt as secure as possible given that Red was lying down.

The ride to Simon’s house passed in silence. Red finally broke when Simon was preparing to pick him up again. “I can walk on my own.”

Simon looked him over and nodded once, before dropping back and letting Red get out of the car. The redhead slowly got out of the car, being careful not to aggravate his cuts more than necessary. However, the second he put weight on his ankle, he crumpled. Before he could hit the ground, Simon caught him around the waist and pulled him back up and consequently against his waist.

Startled green eyes met concerned blue ones and held them for a moment before Red dropped his gaze. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Simon just sighed and threaded one arm around Red’s waist, before slowly walking forward, supporting most of Red’s weight but not quite carrying him. They managed to get to the door of Simon’s house this way, and to the first-floor bathroom right by the door. “Can you manage by yourself?”
 
Red nodded and put one of his hands on the counter, supporting himself and keeping his weight off his ankle, before letting go of Simon and shutting the door in his face.

Simon sighed. Red was being rude as always. But maybe that was a good thing. On the other hand, Simon realized with a frown, it could mean that he was in denial or something and would crack later. He would have to talk to him.

But for now, all he could do was get the quest room presentable, on the assumption that neither of Red’s parents had any medical training and so Simon would be taking care of him for awhile if he still wouldn’t go to the hospital, and get clothes ready for later.

Getting the guest room ready was easy enough and when he was done, Simon settled himself on the couch. As soon as he did, the door of the bathroom opened and Simon quickly got up to help Red. He turned the corner and nearly stopped, finally realizing what the boy’s allure was. Of course, he had noticed how pretty the boy was before, but he had never really realized how pretty. He looked drop-dead gorgeous. His usually dark, blood red hair was even darker now and looked almost black with ruby highlights, and plastered to his slim shoulders, thin but defined chest and flat stomach. The towel obscured everything below that except for sharp hipbones but stopped at his knees and showed off slender calves and small, aristocratic feet.

Simon quickly shook off the shock and sudden lust and noted the many bruises that marred the pale skin. They were all different colors and Simon realized that this wasn’t the first time Red had been beaten up recently. He stood and quickly looped his arm around Red’s waist and slowly led him to the couch. Red sat down and Simon let go. “Lay down on your stomach,” he ordered.

Red shot him a sharp look before shifting until he was laying down on his stomach.

Simon took a deep breath and said as quickly as he could, "I'm going to need to take off the towel and check if anything tore," hoping that if he said it fast, it would be less embarrassing. No such luck; his face still burned in embarrassment.

Red made a soft noise that Simon couldn't decide was assent or objection so he forced himself to take his eyes off the floor and look at Red. He nearly snorted when he saw that he had his face buried in the pillow. Knowing that Red was as uncomfortable as him made him feel a bit better. "Excuse me?" he asked, almost amused now.

Red lifted his head up enough to talk and snapped, "I said, 'okay,'" before burying his face into the couch arm again.

Simon sighed, the amusement quickly fading, and steeled himself for what he was about to do. Then, before he could chicken out, he pulled the towel down. Red’s ass was as white as the rest of him and Simon forced his mind out of the gutter and winced faintly at what he was about to do. As gently as he could, he spread Red’s buttocks and checked for tearing, fingers probing deep. There were a few scratches but nothing that wouldn’t heal on its own. When he was done, he quickly pulled the towel up and backed away.

Red raised his head from the pillow and glanced at Simon before looking down again.

Simon sighed. This was awkward. Time to change the subject. Well, sort of. “You need to go to the police,” he said flatly.

Red looked at him askance and Simon continued, undaunted. “Really. The person who did this- and don’t even try saying you don’t know who it was, because you’re a bad liar- needs to be punished.”

Red glared at him. “What do you care? You think I’m a slut, just like everyone else.”

Simon nearly took a step back at the amount of bitterness in that word and almost said something that he would regret. Instead, he changed the subject. “Why didn’t you want to go to a hospital?”

Red glared and opened his mouth, but Simon cut him off. “And don’t lie. You owe me the truth.”

Red shut his mouth and paused for a moment, before nodding reluctantly. “Hospitals need signatures from your legal guardian if you’re underage, and I don’t really have one.”

Simon stared. “What do you mean, ‘not have one?’”

“I mean, I don’t have a legal guardian.”

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen,” he said softly, looking down.

Simon tried to process the information and promptly winced when he did. Fifteen. He was the school slut at fifteen. That wasn’t healthy. And not have a legal guardian? “Who takes care of you then?” he asked, as calmly as possible.

Red was still looking at him, face and eyes impassive. “This guy, Jett, he sends me money every month.”

Simon looked at him sharply. “And what exactly do you do for his money?” he asked, as neutrally as he could.

“I don‘t whore myself out!” he snapped furiously, glowering.

Simon raised his hands in a passive motion, mentally raising an eyebrow. Apparently whoring was a sore spot. He hadn’t reacted near as violently as that to it being implied that he was a slut.

“I wasn’t saying you did,” Simon said soothingly, even though that had been what was flashing through his mind at the time. “Why does he send you money?”

Red shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s been doing it for a little over a year.”

Simon raised an eyebrow but let it go. “Where are your parents?”

Red looked down. “My mom’s dead and I don’t know where my dad is. Don’t want to either.”

Simon stared. There was a lot of animosity in that last sentence. A lot.

“Why not?”

Red let his hair fall over his face, staying silent.

Simon sighed and let it go. “You really should go to the police no matter what anyone says. Rape is rape, no matter who the person who’s getting forced,” he said quietly.

Red didn’t look up and Simon once again sighed. “Come upstairs with me, we’ll get you dressed.”

Red followed him up and Simon rifled through his drawers for something that would fit the shorter, thinner boy. He finally had to settle for jogging shorts and an oversized t-shirt, mostly to save himself some embarrassment. Much as he disliked Red, he had to admit he was pretty, and Simon wasn’t so old that all his hormones had completely settled.

Red tucked himself into the bathroom again and when he came out, Simon was tore between amusement and lust. The t-shirt was huge on him and completely covered the shorts and had a huge picture of a few penguins lounging on a beach. Not something to inspire much severity and definitely something to dampen any sexual feelings. However, the shirt was short enough to show off long slender legs and Red looked undeniably adorable in it with all his long hair pulled over one shoulder and him looking almost embarrassed.

Simon pulled himself out of his thoughts and forced a half smile. “You should go to sleep; you‘re probably tired. The guest room is down the hall, second room on the left. Make yourself at home. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Red sent him an almost considering look before nodding and turning on his heel, careful of his hurt ankle. Simon made himself a mental note to check that tomorrow before started to settle down to go to his own bed; tomorrow was going to be a long day.