Leaving the Field

When Daniel woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of Bill knocking on his bedroom door and calling his name. Daniel tried to get up but his body screamed at him and he remembered very slowly why he could barely move. Quickly covering himself with a sheet on his bed, Daniel cleared his aching throat. "Come in." He croaked, wincing at how cracked and broken his voice came out.

The door opened slowly and Bill came in looking concerned. "Ain't like ya t'sleep in." He said softly, kneeling beside Daniel's bed and looking at the bit of his face that peeked out of the sheet. "You don't sound very good. Are ya sick?"

Nodding slowly, Daniel tried to say something but his throat cracked and he winced in pain. Swallowing thickly, he tried again and actually managed to get his voice to come out. "I-I think so." He lied, the stutter that would've normally given away that he was lying simply sounding like an effect of a sore throat.

"Well, ya don't gotta do any work today." Bill said, smiling softly at Daniel despite the concern in his eyes. "Do ya need anythin'? Are ya hungry?"

"No." Daniel answered, pulling his sheet on tighter. "I just wanna rest a little longer. Thanks, pa."

Nodding, Bill pat Daniel's head lightly a few times and left, making himself a quick breakfast before getting to work. Daniel waited until Bill was outside to throw the sheet off himself and sit up slowly. He was so stiff. Everything hurt. Taking a deep breath, Daniel stood shakily, but fell back onto the bed again. Flinching at the sharp pain from his ass hitting the bed, Daniel tried again and managed to stay upright this time, slowly making his way to the restroom. In the light of the bathroom and with a clear mind, Daniel could see the absolute wrecked state of his body. He had bruises on his hips and thighs and cuts on his wrists and the BITEMARKS.

Leaning closer to the mirror, Daniel looked at the bitemark on his collar and frowned at it. It was so deep and ANGRY looking. He was pretty sure it was going to leave a scar. The one on his throat wasn't as bad, it would probably heal just fine. Sighing, Daniel decided to take a shower. Even though his body was more sore than it had ever been in his life, he still felt dirty from the night before and now that he wasn't near dead tired from having three orgasms, he was pretty sure he'd do a better job of cleaning himself this time.

One long, hot shower later and Daniel did feel a bit better. He was still sore as hell and his throat was just destroyed, but he felt he might be able to function just enough to make himself a quick breakfast and then sneak back into bed without Bill even realizing he was up and about. Just in case, though, Daniel put on a pair of pajama pants and covered his thin t-shirt with a hoodie that would hide his bitemarks with the hood up. It was a little too warm for such clothes, but he could always say he was feeling cold from being "sick" if Bill asked.

A pang of guilt hit Daniel in the heart when he thought about lying to his father, but it had to be done. He wasn't sure how Bill would react to his injuries especially if he knew he'd received them while clearing up his debt. If Bill didn't strangle him, he might very well shoot himself from some misguided sense of guilt.

No, he couldn't let that happen. Resolving to be quiet and quick, Daniel pulled up the hood of his hoodie and went downstairs. Cereal was the quickest thing he could think to make and it would hold him over for awhile, so that's what he was going for.

Meanwhile, Bill was busily tending the fields, still valiantly trying to work enough nutrients into the soil to bring the farm back to at least functioning. His phone went off in his pocket and he rolled his eyes, recognizing the ringtone and resolving to ignore it. It was the tone he'd set for Venice and he had no interest in talking to that scumbag loan shark bastard until he absolutely had to. Using his anger to fuel his tending, Bill kept at it until the sound of tires rolling over gravel made him look up.

A sleek black car was rolling down the driveway and stopped as close as it could get to the field Bill was tending. He didn't recognize the car, but a sinking feeling in his stomach told him he already knew who it belonged to. When the back passenger side door opened and Venice stepped out of the car, Bill had to hold back a string of curses. He still had time.

"It is VERY rude not answerin' when someone calls you!" Venice yelled as he walked up, smiling and tone decidedly not angry. He walked right up to the edge of the field Bill was tending and grinned broadly at the man like he wasn't busy currently glaring daggers at him. "Got good news for ya, Billy-boy." Venice announced, grin widening as Bill's glare morphed into a look of confusion. Just as quickly as it'd changed, it went back and Bill was glaring at him again.

"What d'you want, Venice?" Bill spat, holding the hoe he'd been using to work his fields almost defensively as he glared at the man trespassing on his property. "I still got time on my debt."

"That's what the good news is about!" Venice said happily, pulling his phone from his jacket pocket and fiddling with it a bit before turning it so Bill could see the screen.

Grumbling a bit, Bill came closer so he could actually see what was on the screen. There was his name, the deadline of his debt, and then- a zero? Frowning deeply, Bill leaned closer and then back, looking at Venice in confusion and suspicion. "What is this?" He asked, not sure what kind of trickery this could possibly be, but sure he hadn't paid off the debt.

Tucking his phone away, Venice gave a coy shrug. "Some very generous person paid off the entire thing for you. You're now a debt-free man." Smile fading just a bit, Venice made a swaying motion with his hand. "Well, you don't owe ME anymore, anyway, I dunno what else you might have goin' on."

Staggering back a bit as though he'd been struck, Bill sputtered a bit before spitting his words out finally. "Who?" Was all he managed, too confused and shocked to care about how amused Venice looked.

"Ask your kid." Venice hissed, grin still plastered on his face. "He can tell you all about it." Turning before Bill could respond, Venice waved over his shoulder. "See ya 'round, Billy-boy! Hope ya manage t'get your shit together!" Then he was back in his car and getting driven off the property, leaving a perplexed Bill to stare after him.

What would Daniel know about any of this? He was sick upstairs. Frowning deeper, Bill threw his hoe aside and walked briskly up to the house. When he opened the door harder than he'd intended, he heard a crash in the kitchen and hurried into the room to see what had happened. Daniel was standing there in pants and a hoodie with the hood up despite the heat of the day, gripping his chest and looking down at a broken bowl.

Realizing he'd startled his son, Bill forgot all about interrogating him and smiled guiltily, walking over to help him pick up the shards of glass. "Sorry, son, didn't mean to startle you."

"S'alright, pa." Daniel muttered, voice sounding just as bad as it had earlier when he'd informed Bill that he was "sick".

"Still not feelin' very good?" Bill asked, frowning in concern at his son.

"No." Daniel said, smiling a bit at Bill. "I only came down for food. I was hungrier than I thought."

"You cold?" Bill asked, moving Daniel's hood aside to check his forehead and frowning at the way Daniel tensed up. "What's-" Bill was cut off as he noticed the obvious bitemark on his neck. Brows furrowing, Bill pulled Daniel closer and moved one side of the hoodie's collar aside, gasping softly at the much more viscous bite on his collar. "Daniel, what-" He was cut off as Daniel pulled away from him, putting his hood back up and looking away nervously.

"I- they- i-it's nothin', pa." Daniel lied, rubbing his arm.

"My ass." Bill said loudly, frowning down at Daniel. "What happened?"

Flinching, Daniel sighed softly. "I-I met a guy last night a-and he-" He trailed off, motioning at his neck.

Frowning deeper, Bill gently gripped Daniel by the upper arms. "Son, was- did you-" Taking a deep breath, Bill got Daniel to look him in the eyes by gently tilting his chin up. "He didn't force this on you, did he?"

Eyes widening, Daniel shook his head quickly. "No!" He cried, coughing immediately and rubbing his raw throat a bit. "No, pa. I-I consented to this." He answered more quietly, looking away again.

"Thank the stars." Bill mumbled, sighing and combing his fingers through his short hair. "You aren't really sick, are you?"

"No." Daniel mumbled guiltily, shifting nervously. "Just-just a little banged up. I didn't want you to worry."

"You sound terrible. This prolly ain't helpin' nothin'." Bill said softly, reaching for the zipper of Daniel's hoodie and frowning at the flash of panic that crossed his son's face. Moving before Daniel could back away, Bill unzipped the hoodie and quickly pushed it off Daniel's shoulders, the baggy garment getting pulled right off his son and onto the floor from its own weight. Now able to see Daniel's cut-up wrists, Bill looked concerned again. "Son-"

Hiding his wrists behind his back, Daniel refused to meet Bill's gaze. "I didn't know handcuffs did that if you pulled on 'em." He said softly, the thought of what Bill's face must look like killing him until he looked up and saw that the reality was much worse. Daniel had expected disgust, not pure paternal concern.

"Oh, Daniel." Bill breathed, looking between the bite on his collar to where his wrists would be if he weren't hiding them. "An' you-you enjoyed yourself?"

Shifting again, Daniel nodded. "I'd do it again." He admitted shamefully, gasping when Bill pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Alright." Bill whispered, holding Daniel like his life depended on it. "So long as you're okay."

Suddenly choking on a sob, Daniel hugged Bill back and buried his face in his father's shoulder. "You-you aren't mad?" He squeaked, fighting to get the words out between his wrecked throat and the sobs trying desperately to break free from him. "O-or disgusted, or ashamed, or-"

"No." Bill said firmly, cutting Daniel off. "No, I ain't none of that. I could never be disgusted by you or ashamed of you, Daniel." He said, tone firm enough to keep Daniel's attention but soft enough that he was comforted by it. "And why would I be mad? Whatever you get up to on your own time is your business. If THIS is what gets your motor runnin', it don't make a damn difference to me. I was a little upset that you lied, but now I'm just happy you're alright."

Choking on something between a hiccup and a sob, Daniel nuzzled himself further into Bill and just enjoyed the feeling of being held for awhile. Eventually he calmed down and sniffled softly as he gently pulled away from Bill, wiping his eyes with his forearm. "I guess-I guess I'm just kinda disgusted and ashamed, so-" He trailed off, sniffling again and swallowing. "Thanks, pa. I- it means a whole lot t'me that you ain't."

Smiling gently, Bill leaned over and kissed Daniel's cheek lightly, giving the other cheek a light caress with his hand. "Of course, son." He said softly, smile widening when Daniel offered him a weak smile in return. "Now siddown. I'm gonna make you somethin' to eat." Bill ordered, going to get some eggs from the fridge.

"Alright." Daniel replied, sitting at the kitchen table and taking the glass of milk Bill slid over for him. It felt amazing on his throat so he drank it slowly, the coolness helping with how raw it felt. The eggs Bill slid over next sort of hurt going down but they helped settle his upset stomach so he finished the plate, polishing off the rest of the milk shortly after.

"Better?" Bill asked, smiling as Daniel nodded. "Good." Taking a breath, Bill got serious and sat across from Daniel. "Cuz we need to talk."

Frowning deeply, Daniel looked at Bill nervously. "'Bout what?"

"'Bout my debt to Venice." Bill replied, knowing from the way Daniel flinched that he indeed knew something about it. "See, he came by shortly before I came bargin' in here and insinuated that you knew somethin' about that debt gettin' paid off in full."

Biting his bottom lip, Daniel kept his eyes firmly fixed on the table. "I-I do." He admitted softly, silently cursing Venice for ratting him out. Daniel felt strongly Bill would've never put those two pieces together on his own, so if Venice just wouldn't have said anything, he might've been in the clear.

"What'd you do?" Bill asked, sounding somewhat tired. He was trying to hide it, not wanting Daniel to feel worse, but he was so very tired. He'd been so stressed lately and today had just been too much. It wasn't even noon yet, either. They still had plenty of day to get through.

Flinching again, Daniel took awhile to answer. When he did, it started with him motioning to his neck. "This." He said softly, practically able to feel Bill shaking his head. "Look, I went out last night to a club cuz I needed somethin' to take my mind off the debt." Daniel explained, looking up at Bill. "Venice was there and he introduced me to some people and one of them said they'd pay off the debt you owed Venice's boss if I spent the night with her brother. I-I wanted to sleep with him anyway, so it seemed like a win-win."

Sighing softly, Bill looked away and processed that for a bit before nodding slowly. "Alright." He said after a bit longer, looking at Daniel once more. "If that's really all there is to it, then I guess that concludes our talk."

"It is." Daniel said, still looking scolded but trying to keep his eyes on Bill. "I promise."

Nodding, Bill reached over the table and held Daniel's hand when his son gave it to him tentatively. "Thank you, Daniel. I don't like the idea of you havin' to fix my mistakes like that, but if you really got as much out of it as you say you did, then I appreciate it."

Managing a weak smile, Daniel nodded softly. "You're welcome, pa."

After rubbing the back of Daniel's hand a bit, Bill released his grip and leaned back in his chair. "Well, that settles it, I think. The farm ain't comin' back and I ain't gonna risk gettin' you into this situation again, so we're movin'." The finality in his voice left little room for protest, and Daniel's eyes widened in surprise.

"Are-are you serious? You're sure you can't bring the farm back around?" Daniel asked, even knowing that Bill wouldn't leave if he didn't absolutely have to.

"Yup. I'm gonna get workin' on gettin' stuff packed up." Bill replied, standing from his chair and pointing firmly at Daniel. "YOU are gonna go rest. Ya ain't allowed to so much as pack your room, you hear me? Ya ain't in any condition to be doin' anythin' but restin'."

Flushing as Bill used his "dad-tone", something he hadn't been on the receiving end of in a while, Daniel nodded. "Yes, pa." He agreed, getting up when Bill nodded and left to get started. Deciding it best to obey Bill but not really wanting to be alone, Daniel made himself comfy on the couch and kept his father company as best he could while he worked.

Aside from a break to eat lunch, Bill worked non-stop all day and got the entire living room packed up with some minor help from Daniel. He allowed Daniel to wrap their breakables and box them up since that didn't require much manual labor, but Bill did the rest. After dinner, instead of getting back to work, Bill got his laptop from his room and set it up so he and Daniel could look at places to live in the city together.

They picked out a few possible options and Bill designated it Daniel's responsibility to call in the morning and get more information about the places if his throat was feeling up to it. Daniel happily accepted the responsibility and he and Bill went to bed shortly after, Daniel already feeling alot better thanks to the day of rest he'd had.

The next morning, Daniel's throat was indeed healed enough that he was okay to make phone calls so he got set up on Bill's bed and helped wrap breakables in between making calls while Bill packed. It took until lunch to wrap up Bill's room and after lunch they moved to Daniel's room. Bill packed while Daniel called around some more, now looking for the best deal on purchasers for the property.

Dinner came and went and by the next day, Daniel was physically okay enough that he was able to help Bill pack the kitchen and bathrooms. Bill left early the next day to get a moving truck and it took him and Daniel the rest of that day to get everything into the truck. They camped together on the floor that night, having decided to spend one more night in their old home despite the fact that their new place was waiting for them. It would've been too much work to get their beds set up in the new place anyway and they were tired.

The two men woke up nice and early the next day and were finally moved into their new home in the city by nightfall. It was a house that was smaller than their old home in a nice suburban part of the city and even though it was smaller, both Bill and Daniel felt strongly that it would be a good place to start new. The first night they camped on the floor of their new home, too tired once again to set their beds up, and were fully and finally moved in after two more days of unpacking.

Once they were finally settled in, Daniel and Bill started job-hunting. The farm had always provided them with food and income so now they needed something else. Bill was suited to manual labor despite his age due to his years of farm life and easily found a construction company that was eager for the muscle. Daniel, despite also having been working the farm all his life, wanted something a little less physical and eventually found it in a job as a lab assistant.

"They actually said yes." Daniel informed, voice awed as he read the email he'd gotten from the company about his application. "I'm gonna be a lab assistant."

"Well how 'bout that." Bill muttered, reading the email over Daniel's shoulder before clapping his son on the back happily. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, pa." Daniel said, smiling up at Bill before looking back to the email and frowning a bit. "I'm surprised they want me since I ain't got no experience workin' in a lab. They don't even want an interview. Just said I'm hired."

"Must see your potential." Bill offered, sitting beside Daniel on the couch.

Sighing softly, Daniel shrugged and wrote an official-sounding "thank you" email back to the company before closing his laptop and setting it on the coffee table. "Hope I'm good at it."

"You'll do great, son." Bill assured, ruffling Daniel's hair before turning the tv on and settling in with his son to watch a movie.

Humming softly, Daniel snuggled up to Bill and decided to try to stop thinking about it and just enjoy the movie.

In a few days, Daniel would be starting his new job as a lab assistant, something he was equal parts excited and nervous about. With the farm now gone though, it felt like all the things that had happened because of it were in the past, and that it was time for something new and exciting. It was time to start the next chapter in his life.