Whumptober

Last Tuesday Night

A/N: AI-less Whumptober prompt: Held at gunpoint.

This whumptober one-shot is a bit of an AU where Gabe doesn't die in the hospital after the war. Inspired by the song "Nameless" by Stevie Howie, so consider listening to the song as you read!

TRIGGER WARNING: Violence, blood, torture, cursing, attempted murder, negative self-talk, body horror, and talk of dubious consent and sexual assault. It's fairly dark and violent, so please be advised.

Author: JuJuBeesAreCandy

Alec has a confession to make: he wasn't at Theo's house last Tuesday night.

Theo covered for him, lied so easily even to Liam it was like breathing.

Still, he wasn't at Theo's house last Tuesday night.

Everyone's been asking who could do such a thing. Everyone but Nolan, who's eyes always wandered over to Alec's every time it was brought up: a silent accusation.

"I was at Theo's last Tuesday night," he'd always say.

But he wasn't.

Alec hadn't planned to confront Gabe that day. Really. It just happened.

If everyone knew what Nolan told him that day, he's sure everyone would understand.

If everyone knew the horrible things Gabe did, he's sure no one would even be upset.

No one knew, though. No one knew and Alec couldn't even tell anyone.

"It's terrible what happened to Gabe. He was such a sweet boy," people always say.

Except he wasn't. Even aside from the violent shooting at the McCall house and the horrific choice to join Monroe in hunting and killing supernatural creatures that everyone seemed to mysteriously forget about or deny, Gabe was a bad guy.

Alec always knew there was something wrong with him–even if he never truly spoke to him before Tuesday night.

He didn't have to know him, though; he knew Nolan.

Alec knew Nolan like the back of his hand; he knew his smile, knew his laugh, knew the way he would open his mouth whether he wanted to talk or not, because sometimes he became so shocked he couldn't breathe otherwise. Alec knew his tears, knew the way he'd always flinch away from touch, knew the way he'd squirm under pressure or attention.

More importantly, Alec knew how Nolan thought. He understood Nolan's constant anxieties and self-doubts. He knew how Nolan would beat himself up about his Asexuality, or his inability to play sports, or his awkward personality. He knew that Nolan had this voice inside his head, telling him that he would never, ever be good enough.

Alec knew that that voice was Gabe.

Gabe always said, Nolan would mumble, his head downcast and his fingers intertwined, whenever he tried to justify those thoughts.  Gabe always said I laughed too loud. Gabe always said I took up too much space. Gabe always said I shouldn't talk so much. Gabe always said I should let him come up with the ideas. Gabe always said I would never meet anyone better than him. Gabe always said I was doomed to be alone, in the end.

Gabe always said horrible, terrible things, according to Nolan. Things no one should ever say to another human being. Things no one should even think, let alone dare to say out loud. Gabe was a horrible, terrible person.

Alec knew that, about Gabe–knew that he was emotionally abusive, narcissistic, and sometimes even violent.

He thought, somehow, that the violence was the worst of it. After all, it was hard to top being so violent and bloodthirsty that you would willingly shoot up a house, or beat up your soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend.