Pride

Chapter 3

"Dad's gonna kick your ass when he gets home" Christian muttered. Arran kept quiet and let the light snip of scissors distract him from his anxiety that always seemed to build up when his dad came home. Winston Harley wasn't a good person... He didn't spend a lot of nights with Christian and Arran at the house which was relieving but annoying at the same time. He fixed and detailed cars for a living and often traveled to nearby towns without much context as to why he went.

Winston Harley was a traditional man. He liked cars, guns, beer, and poker. Four things Arran had learned everything about just for his approval. He taught Christain and Arran to shoot when they were seven and eight, starting with bb guns. He taught them everything there was to know about every car that ended up on their property too. Those were the only times Arran remembered genuinely enjoying his dad's company...

He knew Winston wasn't a good person. He knew that his dad was responsible for a lot of people's hurt and suffering. He knew that his dad hated him for being gay and had threatened his life for it a dozen times. But as twisted as it all was, Arran still wanted his approval. He still wanted him to like him. To love him and to be proud of him like he was of Christian.

"He won't find out" Arran mumbled. Winston also had strict rules about Emrys... Emrys wasn't allowed to come over, he wasn't allowed to talk to him or to be within close proximity of him. But Winston was gone so often that Arran never listened. As long as Winston wasn't home, Arran clung to Emrys like his life support. He was the only thing that kept Arran sane at this point. That kept him from turning in to his dad completely because he knew Emrys hated that. He knew Emrys hated guns and yelling. That he hated negativity and closed-mindedness.

"He always finds out" Christian reminded him. He carefully ran his fingers through Arran's hair before another snip could be heard and another lock fell to the floor. Christian always cut Arran's hair... He was the only one Arran would let cut it. Maybe it was because he liked the small moments like this he got with him. Where they could be brotherly rather than Arran being terrified of Christian. Or maybe it was because he didn't trust anyone else not to ask questions when they spotted any scars Arran kept hidden.

Christian wasn't supportive of Emrys and Arran... Christian actually hated anything remotely gay and had beaten enough kids because of it. He was a homophobic bully and nothing more. But he was good to Arran for the most part... Not because he supported him, but because he knew he got enough shit about it from his dad. Christian always did his best to cover for Arran. He always settled down Winston before things got too serious and was surprisingly protective of Arran.

"Then I'll handle it... I always do" Arran muttered.

"Just stop seeing him. It would solve all of your problems" Christian reached for an electric trimmer and carefully worked toward the usual fade. Arran had naturally wavy and sometimes curly hair, but he liked to keep it shorter now. He liked it short on the sides and a bit longer on the top, but not so long that it became a messy mop of curls. He knew Emrys liked otherwise... But he just couldn't tolerate long hair.

"No" Arran deadpanned. "Emrys is my best friend... It's not that simple" Christian scoffed at the word friend.

"Bullshit" Christian scoffed. "You act like I don't live with you and like you don't come home from his house covered in hickeys"

"He has three sisters" Arran deadpanned. "One of which is only a year below me. Could just as easily be from her than Emrys"

"But they aren't" Christian reminded him as he finished up Arran's hair and began packing his things. "I'm not going to be here forever to make sure he doesn't kill you"

"Fuck off. I got it" Arran waved Christian off despite knowing how right he was. How easily his dad could shoot him in the head in one of his episodes. The look of disgust in Winston's eyes whenever he'd as much bat an eye in Arran's direction. How close he had come to becoming the next dead fag in Asper Hollows. It was all just a matter of time.