friends don't look at friends that way | ruke

because i love you

tw // mention of abuse

"because i love you"

reggie's mother sobbed, holding his cold hands into hers. she couldn't help but caress her son's bruised cheek, while tears fell down her face.

the kid was staring at the floor, not looking
into his mom's wet eyes. he wanted to speak, but couldn't. his mouth was shut and wasn't going to be opened any time soon, because
his dad told him so.

reggie and his father were very close, once upon a time, until he found out his wife was cheating on him. the man completely lost his mind, and started hitting anything that breathed. she promised it was a stupid mistake, and that she would never do it again, but for him, she was a slut, a woman that didn't deserve to be alive, but instead of hurting her, he took out his rage on his eleven years old son.

«i-if you really loved me, y-you'd stop dad»
the kid stuttered, not so gently rubbing his eyes, and trying not to cry, cause men don't cry, his father said. when reginald was a child, he fell off his bike and hurt his knee. he instantly started crying, and put on a plaster. his dad was present, he held his arm and cursed,
«real men don't cry, if you do that, you're a pussy.» the kid wiped away his own tears.

«i love you more than words can say, but i can't stop him. i'm not strong enough, baby..» the woman mumbled, rubbing her son's fluffy hair.
«but, we'll be okay, right?» he sighed, finally looking into his mother's eyes. she nodded.

end of the flashback :')

«are you sure you wanna do this?» the short girl asked, rubbing her friend's back. reggie nodded, he took her hand and poofed into his old house. he searched for it, and he finally found it. his parents are gone, but his house isn't. it's wasn't the same, but at least it was something.

«i can't believe they left this house, maybe
i was the problem that kept them here..»
he gulped, resting his hands into his pockets.
«i'm sure they moved out because everything reminded them of you, i mean, it must've been hard, losing their 17 years old son..» alex hinted, looking around and trying to comfort her friend. «not that they cared tho..» reggie quickly said, hoping she wouldn't have heard him, but unfortunately, she did.

«what are you talking about? they loved you,
of course they did.» she approached the staircase. «is your room upstairs?» the girl asked, the other nodded and walked up.

as soon as he opened his room's door after twenty five years of being dead, he couldn't believe it. he couldn't believe his parents didn't move anything from where it was. his blue
and black flannel on his bed, right where he positioned it. it had been twenty five years,
but nothing changed. reggie couldn't help but smile. his walkie talkie, his nintendo console, and even his underwear were above his desk.

«woah, your room was awesome, messy,
but awesome!» she teased, making the boy laugh.he just layed on his comfy bed, and lots of memories came back into his head, in a second.he remember how he used to spend
his afternoons with luke in his room, ignoring his parents' noise, by listening to some loud country music, even thought luke didn't like
it that much.

«i should go, i have to rehearse with the guys..» reggie said, and his friend kissed his cheek. «bye bass boy, see ya later!» she joked, and then poofed out of the house, reggie following.

-

«what took you so long? you said you were
just going for a walk..» the drummer hinted, getting up from his seat, right after reggie poofed into the shed. the shy boy just picked
up his bass and stood next to alex's drums, without answering the question. «okay,
you don't wanna talk about it..» luke sighed,
rolling his eyes a bit, and touching the strings of his beloved guitar. «i do, just not now, i'm really not in the mood..» reginald said, and then started playing, like nothing ever happened.