20th Year of December

The Night The Stars Disappear

T/W: Abuse, Implied Rape

He remembered hearing Miwa and mom crying. They were being noisy and Tobio couldn't continue sleeping and he went down discreetly to see dad standing in front of a crouching a trembling Miwa while mom was bowing and apologize over and over again. Her voice is hoarse as if she had just been crying or screaming. Tobio didn't understand anything but the scene scares him enough for him to run back upstairs and cover his ears as he forces himself to sleep.

Tobio couldn't say anything as dad left with Miwa. Kazuyo was there too and he was hugging Tobio all while apologizing. His shirt is wet but he couldn't understand why Kazuyo is crying. They will see each other again, right?

But after a year with mom, Tobio knows that Kazuyo, dad and Miwa are never coming back. Mom is all he has now.

Mom made breakfast for him, went to work, made dinner and always taught him to always be a good person or else they will be abandoned and despised. Mom said it as if she had seen it before.

Mom didn't say anything when he played volleyball. She just smiles and nodded whenever he talks about volleyball and though Tobio had a feeling that she wasn't listening, he had fun talking anyway.

But then his grade dropped. Mom's usually calm and serene face changes. Her eyes are scary and suddenly Tobio is on the ground, holding his reddened cheeks. When he looked at mom, her eyes weren't looking at him. She was holding her head in her hands and seems to be muttering something he didn't catch. He was scared of her but with a shaking hand, he reaches out to her.

"M—Mom...?"

"You brat!"

He scrambled back from mom.

No, that's not mom.

"Why can't you be good?! Why am I slaving myself for a brat like you?!"

She's grabbing his wrists too hard.

It hurts.

"Mom—you're hurting me—"

"Shut up!!"

Tobio's back hit the wall hard as mom throws him hard. His wrists hurt from the pressure and mom grip and drag him by the collar of his shirt as he tried to escape.

He's scared.

His body hurts.

Mom wouldn't stop.

He could no longer hear the sound of his screaming, only mom's.

***

The bruises are ugly.

But the long sleeves help in hiding the bruises, especially the ones on his wrists.

He's scared of mom.

So, he ran away.

The park is empty. Given that it's winter, it's only given that no one will be here. Which is perfect. Tobio didn't want to see anyone right now.

But he forgot his glove and his breathe isn't enough to warm it up. He is tempted to return home but...

"What are you doing here?"

The person in front of him is taller than him and he's smiling at him. Tobio stiffened at the looming figure and the person seems to notice this and crouches down to at the same eye level as him. The person is wearing a beanie and glasses and the only thing Tobio could see is his smile. He calmed down a bit but he didn't answer, merely rubbing his hands together to warm up his hands. The person seems to notice this and takes Tobio's hands in his gloved ones. Tobio flinches but the warmth from the person's bigger hands calmed him down.