Two Sides of the Same Coin Lams College AU {Mature} {Completed}

Chapter 16 ⚠️

A/N: Questions? I'll take 'em?

⚠️ TW: mentions of abuse, death, homophobia, domestic violence ⚠️

John's POV - Thursday, November 26, 2020, 1:29 pm

I knocked on the door of Room 217, then stepped back, shifting the pie I had agreed to bring in my hands. Soon, Alex opened the door. He smiled.

"Hey, John," he said, stepping outside and closing the door behind him, a plate of buttered rolls in his hand. "You ready to go?"

"Are you?"

He chuckled. I held out my hand. He took it, and we walked upstairs to Sam and Thomas's dorm. When we arrived at Room 315, I tried not to look down the hall. But there it was. I glanced at that door, afraid that, at any moment, he would walk out and drag me inside. Alex squeezed my hand. "It's okay, John. I'm here."

I smiled. Just then, Sam opened the door. "Hey, guys!" he said, ushering us inside.

We walked in, and everyone looked up at us. Apparently we were the last ones there. We put down our dishes and sat down in our respective seats, and Thomas stood up. From his spot at the head of the table, he said, "Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Dig in!"

After we filled our plates, I said, "Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah?"

I looked over at him and instinctively flinched. It wasn't his fault. He was holding a butter knife. But it was enough.

He noticed me flinch, and immediately set down the knife. "I'm so sorry," he muttered, so the others wouldn't hear.

"It's not your fault," I whispered back. "You forgot."

"I know, I just feel bad."

"Don't. It's okay."

"All right," he said. And with that, we dug in.

~~~~~~~~~~

Alex's POV - Saturday, November 28, 2020, 3:17 pm

John and I were cuddling on the couch in his dorm watching Dear Evan Hansen when John suddenly paused the TV. I frowned, then looked up at him.

"What's up?"

He sighed. "We need to talk."

"A-about what?"

"D'you remember the day we broke up?"

"Yeah..."

"You found out about my mom and dad."

"And I'm so, so-"

"Alex, you don't need to apologize," he said. "I should've known you'd find out sooner or later." Sighing, he continued. "It's true. All of it. He did kill her, and he went to jail. But there's one thing the press didn't know."

"John, you don't have to-"

"He disowned me."

"What?"

"My dad. That night, he... he disowned me. They had gotten in a fight because I liked things that he didn't consider 'manly'. My mom had gotten them for me. He didn't like that. Before he went to jail, he looked me right in the eye. He said, 'You're no son of mine'." I felt a tear hit the top of my head. I cuddled closer to him, wrapping my arms around him in a hug.

"It's okay, John. I'm here for you."

He began to cry. I was shocked. I had never seen him cry before. He usually kept his feelings to himself. I squeezed him tighter, until he had calmed down. I pulled away and looked him in the eyes.