Heaven Isn't Binary

Part One: Childhood

*From Elliot's POV

     When I thought of my childhood, I pictured a version of myself that didn't know pain, or at least one that wasn't aware of how it hurt yet. Where I came from, love meant making sure that you got home safe and on time, but never did it mean making sure that you were taken care of when you were home. It meant that no one outside of those walls would ever hurt you without paying a price, but the same couldn't be said when you were in them.
     Red, it was my favorite color. It was the color that my eyes were clothed by when I looked in the mirror, brushing red, knotted hair away from my tear stained cheeks. It was the color that wrapped around my mom's knuckles, from where she had punched the wall or she had broken a beer bottle the night before. It was the color of my mother's lying lips. "You know, I would never hurt you. I'm doing what is best for us, your father never could." He would simply shake his head, never talking back and I would learn to stay silent, too. I was just like him. "El, come here." He would say as he scooped my frail body into his huge arms. There was no place where I felt more safe. Little did he know, I did in fact feel him sobbing into my shoulder when he held me.
    The day that I came out, I knew that it was going to be one of my most painful days. I had heard so many times "You're a child of mine, but I don't love you." However, I could never be prepared for " I love you but you're no child of mine," escaping my mother's lips, her stone cold eyes seeping into mine. Like always, my dad shook his head and held me in his arms. He never said another word, as he opened the door and walked out. I would never see him again, and I wouldn't wait around to see her crush another beer and let her hand release her drunken thoughts.
     I ran away at 15 years old. We had just moved to the US from France, and like everyone else does, my parents thought it would be better. They thought that it would make our family better but they had no desire to change the dynamics nor the ways of themselves. My mother was a drunk, abusive, monster of a woman and my dad was only the ground that she walked on. I never quite knew either one of them and they could say the same of me.
     As I slipped out the door, I didn't even grab a raincoat nor any shoes as I ran through the pelting rain. Nothing was more unfamiliar now than the sidewalk that I tread, water splashing as I went. Then, I felt a thud, before I clambered to the ground. "Shit, sorry. I didn't see you there." I said, as I attempted to stand up, busting my ass once again as I did so. Suddenly, a gentle yet muscular hand gripped mine. "That's okay," a sweet voice said, helping me up. "I would fall for me too." I laughed as I finally caught a glimpse of the person in front of me. They were quite stunning with dark, hooded eyes, soft pink lips, and a smile that was like no other.

"I'm Eden and you are staring a damn lot." They whispered.
I blushed, "uhm, Elliot. My name is Elliot."
"Well, Elliot, what are you doing in the fucking rain at five in the evening? Was it time for your pre dinner shower?
"I just came out to my abusive mom and my dad who may as well have sewn lips."
"Wow. Very brave of you, I haven't gotten there yet. Come with me. I have a friend, you can stay at their house."

I never looked back, we would hang  out every day after and when we were all old enough, we ran away. It was the easiest hard thing that I have ever done. I never had to talk about it or come out to them. I just existed in a room that knew no boundaries, with smiles that weren't forced. Of course getting through school and everything was quite difficult with no legal guardians. However, when no parent turned up for me, I was adopted by Eden's friends older sibling, Donovan and his wife Layla. Prix (Pree), Eden's childhood friend that kept us, sadly died at 20 years old, after running away at 19, of AIDS.

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Hello, I thought I'd try something different and decided I'd try for a fictional book of some sort. A big thing for me is reading a book that I am able to connect to with characters that I can connect with and when they don't look like me, it can be hard to get both lost and found in them. That's why I liked the concept of having main characters that aren't gendered. It makes it easier for the reader to make those characters their own, and really fit into their shoes.

Anyways, do you like the concept of not gendering characters? If not, what gender do you think Eden is? And Elliot?