RS/Debt Collection

[thegentlemanthug]

After Matthew sweats out his addiction, life returns to what passes for normal in the Drake-Judge household. Matthew signs Susan's papers, and they both agree not to politely ignore anything Reid may have to say about her.

But still something is bothering his lover, whether it's his pained leg or the lingering shadow of the drugs. Bennet does all he can to soothe his lover's frazzled nerves, with his clumsy words and the warmth of his body, but he will not be consoled.

Still, they are content, he thinks, and he's looking forward to returning home from a long day, walking Whitechapel by night without care.

Until a shadow falls across his path.

"It's time we took what's owed."

Something heavy strikes him on the head and Bennet falls to the ground, and knows no more.

Comments

[thirstforvice]

"Nothing! I'm fine." Matthew frowns.

"How are you feeling?"

[thegentlemanthug]

"You're...buzzing."

Leaving that aside for the moment, Bennet tries to catalogue his aches.

"What did you let me drink last night?"

[thirstforvice]

"You don't remember? Uh..." Matthew isn't sure whether that's good or bad, and how much he should try and remind his lover.

"You were... captured. Poisoned. You're in the London. Fine now. Promise."

[thegentlemanthug]

"Poison...?"

That explains the feeling of death hanging over him.

"Who'd want to do that?"

[thirstforvice]

"Um..." Matthew stumbles again, fidgeting even more as he tries to come up with some explanation that doesn't get him thrown out on the street yet again.

"I... it was my fault. I'm sorry."

[thegentlemanthug]

Bennet frowns more.

"You left one of your concoctions on the table again?"

[thirstforvice]

"No - what? No!" Matthew's pretty sure he's never done that, never mind the again part.

"No," he continues with a breath. "You were... used. To get to me."

[thegentlemanthug]

The idea of anyone getting to his Matthew is so powerful a motivator that Bennet tries to launch himself from his bed.

"I'll bloody kill them."

[thirstforvice]

"Calm down!" Matthew cries and tries to shove Bennet back down into the bed.

"I'm fine. You're... going to be fine. It's over now."

[thegentlemanthug]

Bennet reaches out to Matthew, his vision blurred but his hands checking over his lover desperately.

"But you're fine?"

[thirstforvice]

"I'm fine," Matthew repeats.

"And Reid's got the fuckers behind bars. Those that lived that long, anyway."

[thegentlemanthug]

Bennet subsides a little, but still none of this story makes sense.

"Why were they after you, then?"

[thirstforvice]

Matthew can no longer meet Bennet's eye, dropping his gaze to his knees.

"They used to... sell me things."

[thegentlemanthug]

Matthew's words send a chill through Bennet's heart.

"Sell you what?"

[thirstforvice]

Matthew still cannot look at Bennet.

"You can guess, can't you?"

[thegentlemanthug]

Bennet can, but he doesn't want to.

"Tell me."

[thirstforvice]

"Ben..." Matthew doesn't want to bring this up, yet again, especially when his love is lying in a hospital bed.

"Laudanum. Coca. Other drugs. They sold me anything I asked for."

[thegentlemanthug]

Bennet's heart is a stone in his chest.

"When?"

[thirstforvice]

"Before," Matthew shrugs.

"When I... when you weren't around. When I thought you were dead."

[thegentlemanthug]

Bennet subsides, though a note of doubt remains.

"Not...now?"

[thirstforvice]

"No," Matthew promises, voice passionate once more.

"Not since I stopped, I swear. 's why they did this. To try and threaten me to get my custom back."

[thegentlemanthug]

"I'll bloody kill 'em," Bennet says, returning to familiar territory.

"After I've been home for tea."

[thirstforvice]

"Home to bed and Mrs Ramsay's tea," Matthew will agree to that much.

"There ain't no one left to kill, darlin'."

[thegentlemanthug]

"You could've left me one or two," Bennet grumbles, but his heart isn't in it.

"Home now?"

[thirstforvice]

"Home," Matthew agrees at long last.

"Can you walk?"