Kings of Hawkings [bxb]

Chapter 29

With Eli in his arms, Jonas' heart ached. The weight of their shared struggle pressed heavily on both their shoulders, but at this moment, all Jonas wanted was to wrap his brother in a protective embrace and shield him from the world's cruelty.

"You've been so brave, Eli. I'm so proud of you," he soothed.

"I hate it, Jo. I hate them. I hate that school," Eli choked out, his voice muffled against Jonas' shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Eli. I shouldn't have left you alone. Don't go back. We'll figure something out," Jonas promised, his arms tightening around him.

Eli lifted his gaze, his eyes red yet sparking with a flicker of hope. Nevertheless, he shook his head slowly. "You know he won't let that happen. It'll only create more problems for you."

"Forget about the trouble. If he tries to stop me, I'll hit him back," Jonas growled, his determination clear.

Eli took a step back, retreating from his brother's comforting embrace. "No. We have a plan in place. We wait."

Jonas sighed, the burden of the situation weighing on him. "I'm uneasy about waiting for the court to decide. Given my past, I can't even promise custody, Eli. I'm truly sorry... Perhaps we should consider asking Chuck to take you in as a guardian."

"You want Chuck to take in a teenage kid? We can't do that," Eli said, his voice tinged with sadness.

"Don't underestimate Chuck's heart. Let me talk to him," Jonas insisted.

Eli sighed and fought back his tears. "The legal battle alone is daunting. Is it worth it?"

"I'd burn this world down for you," Jonas growled, his voice steely and unwavering. He clenched his jaw, the muscles taut with determination. "Forget about the legal battle. I've got the best lawyer on this already. So stay here. We'll keep you safe."

Hugh's eyes widened slightly, a mixture of admiration and concern flickering across his face. The fierce resolve in Jonas' stance made it clear just how deeply he was committed to protecting Eli.

More than that, Hugh felt a surge of relief and gratitude that Jonas could rely on his father for support in the proceedings. He assumed Jonas and Eli hadn't had many people in their corner before, and the prospect of having that support now was a rare and precious thing.

Although Eli felt warm affection from Jonas' words, he shook his head, resignation clear in his eyes. "You've already taken the brunt of his anger. I've played the role of the perfect son who defended you in that viral video. For now, I'm safe."

Jonas gently lifted Eli's chin, inspecting the split on his lip from the previous day. "Is this what safe looks like? He used to keep his hits to your body, never your face."

"This is nothing," Eli said, trying to shrug off the concern.

"This is everything!" Jonas' voice trembled with panic. "He hurt you, and you stayed silent about it! How many times has he hit you that I don't know about? You were supposed to tell me!"

"Tell you? So you can barge in, cause a scene, and get pummeled? You never fight back. You just endure it so we can hit the reset button and wait for the next round. Do you think I enjoy seeing that? What if he decides not to let you out next time?" Eli shot back.

Jonas shuddered, his eyes blazing with resolve. "I don't care whether you like it or not. It's necessary. I never wanted this for you," he said, gesturing to the fresh bruises forming on his body.

"I don't want this for you either. That's why I never told you he came home. Let me share some of this burden, Jo. For once, let me take some of the weight."