Days turned into weeks and John slowly started to feel like himself again. He still had moments of fear and anxiety, but with Brad by his side, he felt like he could face anything.

One evening, they were cuddled up on the couch, watching a movie when John turned to Brad with a serious expression on his face.

"Brad, I've been thinking. I want to take self-defense classes. I never want to feel helpless like that again," John said, determined.

Brad smiled, proud of his partner's strength. "That's a great idea, John. I'll help you find a class to take."

Over the next few weeks, John and Brad researched self-defense classes and found one that was close by. John was nervous at first, but with Brad's encouragement, he walked into the class with his head held high.

The instructor was a tough-looking woman with short hair and a no-nonsense attitude. She immediately put John and the rest of the class through their paces, teaching them basic self-defense moves and techniques.

At first, John struggled to keep up, but as the weeks went on, he started to feel more confident in his abilities. He practiced the moves with Brad at home and felt like he was regaining control over his life.

One day, as they were leaving the class, John turned to Brad with a smile on his face. "Thank you for supporting me, Brad. I feel like I'm getting stronger every day."

Brad wrapped his arms around John, feeling proud of the progress he had made. "I'm always here for you, John. We'll get through anything together."