Alive

Confrontation

TW: Cursing, homophobia, hurting people, abuse, very heavily implied child abuse, yelling

Remus' POV:

I've only been gone for an hour, so, after stepping along the path to my house, I unlock the door, kicking my shoes off and letting it swing closed behind me.

"Jan! I'm home! I got the confession off him. We just need to-"

The sentence falls out of my mouth when I walk into the living room.

Roman is perched on the edge of the sofa, looking straight down at the floor and bouncing his leg nervously. My mother is stood next to him, holding his left hand. Beside her, there's a few metres of a gap. Then, in the right corner of the room - my Dad is standing.

And, he has one of his hands wrapped around the back of Janus' neck, whose wrists are tied infront of him tightly.

He looks up at me with puffy eyes when I enter the room. He looks scared. He has a black eye too.

"Roman's third interview had to be cancelled. It's unfortuneate how things like that can happen, isn't it, Remus?" My father talks. Loudly. Angrily. Dangerously.

I don't say anything. I make eye contact with Janus, who mouths the word 'leave' to me. When I stay still, he repeats it.

My dad lifts his dominant leg and kicks him in the back of the head, making him breathe out shakily and keep his head down.

"Can you explain to me why exactly you've been harbouring a fugitive? Feeding him? Sheltering him? Clothing him? Do you understand how dangerous this is?"

I still don't reply.
"Your brother's told me he doesn't know anything about it. Why couldn't you just have been more like him?"

Now, I speak.
"Fucking liar." I spit, turning my head to face him. "You care so much about yourself, you're sitting there and letting someone you claim to be your friend get abused by your own fucking dad! You're a peice of shit, Ro! Never once have you stood up for me! If you don't care about Janus, then atleast care about me! If you care about me as your brother, then you should be caring about him as my boyfriend!"

The room lingers for a moment in silence.

Roman keeps his mouth agape for a moment before shutting it, looking guiltily to the floor.

The silence lasts longer.

"Remus." My father talks with a quiet wave of furiousity in his voice.
I look back into his eyes, staring him down. Janus is lookig up and me worriedly.

I can see my mother's eyes watering, and she puts an arm around Roman's shoulder.

He keeps his eyes locked on me, eyebrows furrowed in anger. And, very calmy, my dad speaks again.

"You aren't my son anymore. You haven't been for a long time. If you aren't out of this house with this thing of yours," He spits, kicking Janus forward. "In the next two minutes, you might find that I won't be so kind about it."

He glares daggers at me, fire igniting in his stare.
"Fine. Fuck you. Fuck you for treating me like this because of things I can't control."

I'm not exactly sure what comes over me, but I turn to the other two members of my family as well.

"And fuck you too, mum. For standing aside and encouraging your husband to treat me like shit!"

My dad, or, whatever he is, interjects. "Remus Presscot. Get out of this house, right now. I don't ever want to see you here again. This is not a home for you anymore."