Could care less (DSaf AU)

Why did that happen?

These are flashbacks for Dave. At the beginning he will not cuss due to innocence before Henry. The next chapter will be for Jack then Henry just because I can. Also, guess where the present time paragraphs are. They're hard to miss.

Warning
Slight language
Mention of self harm
Somewhat graphic descriptions
Henry being a good father for some parts

Everything was numb, mostly my arms. Frostbite took over recently, I ran away from that cursed orphanage. They treated me and the other kids like slaves and bags of pure trash. "Nobody would want a worthless pussy like you, William. Nobody." One of them said, even if I had gotten used to the mental and physical abuse that my 'caretakers' did, the cuts they watched me add to my arms everyday didn't even make them even feel the least bit of pity.

It was the winter of 1957, I was thirteen and puberty hit me like the truck that almost broke my leg yesterday. "Being a teenager is the worst." I sighed while staring at my fragile frame, the lack of enough food to keep me anchored had made me weak and thin. Nobody cared for my begging yet cared when I desperately dug through a nearby dumpster. "What is that... Thing... doing?" They asked, "It looks like a raccoon!" If only they knew how much I'm suffering with now, maybe one of those strangers would take me in and call me their son without disappointment in their eyes. But that's when I found it. The answer. Even with my poor reading skills I could make out the words 'Dr. Henry Miller's circus." There were people filing in, so I had a chance to sneak in. But first I had to look decent so I bathed in a nearby stream, shivering like heck. Finding clean clothes was hard, but there was some pairs of shirts and pants that didn't smell like feces and mostly didn't reek of vomit.

Sneaking in was easier than it should've been, never got even close to being noticed. I sat in the front where nobody else was, the lights tuned off. Even in my brief days of being with different families, I knew this just meant the ring leader would be coming out in a few seconds. And he did. He introduced himself as Dr. Henry Miller, Henry was a young man with bright pink skin, fluffy hair and a large figure. Not pudgy, just wide and tall. "Prepare yourselves ladies and gentlemen, for this evening I will make the impossible possible!" And he did just that, every performer did their act flawlessly and gracefully. About an hour later, the living salmon thanked everyone for coming, left and the lights turned on. "Mommy, that was boring! You said that we would go somewhere that DIDN'T embarrass me." A boy around more age said. Did he just call Henry's act boring? He will PAY.

"Hey, what did you say about the circus?" I asked him while he was staring at his mother talking to friends, "None of your business, rat boy. Now fuck off before I make you." He said while glancing at me with a scowl. "I'm afraid that your thoughts on that flawless performance are incorrect, Mr. I have it all." I replied with a surprisingly large, frightening grin. "Is that a threat, rat boy? You look like a fly could kill you instantly, I won't hesitate to beat your ass." The boy said, pounding his fists together. He was sorta right, though I was somewhat strong. Even my small figure could end someone's days if there were enough openings to. However, all I wanted to do was knock some sense into that smooth brain of his. "Try me, your highness." The grin on my face turned into what people would describe as psychotic, this scared the other kid somewhat but it was too late to back out now. A crowd had already formed, some people were chanting as we wrestled in the dirt and mud. We were both beaten pretty badly before two strong hands pulled us off each other. Oh god. It was Henry.

"What are you doing hurting this poor young man?" He asked the other boy, "Sir, that bitch called my opinion insulting." He replied. Yes, I did, but not without reason. However, the boy started to lie. "He called me an idiot for enjoying your circus!" Henry looked at me with cold eyes, "is this true?" "No!" I cried, then the tears that I didn't know we're there flowed out as I spoke. "I heard him say your circus was boring, I tried to convince him it wasn't then he decided to fight me." Never had I seen someone so concerned, but I have seen multiple people disgusted at the same time. I could hear whispers on how I was a coward and a sissy for crying. The salmon sighed and motioned for me to follow, "There's something you need to know." He said as we walked to a car with the same lion from the performance sleeping in a crate, "I know he said my acts were horrible, and I know he started that conflict." I sighed in slight joy, finally someone believed me. We talked for a while then he asked where my parents are. The tears were coming back. "I... Don't have any." Henry turned to shock, but smiled weakly. "I could take care of you, if you'd like." He said, the sadness evaporated and I jumped on to the pink man, causing him to stumble a bit. We hugged for a bit then he put me in the passenger seat of the lion car.