Fused harmony

Prologue

A boy no older than 14 was seen sprawled out on the ground, his cheek swollen, his lip fat and his nose pouring with blood. The ever-so-common rain beat down on him and the surrounding concrete as he struggled back to his feet. A single older boy, around 16 or 17, with a bloody fist stood before him as he looked at the floor, his hair soaked and stuck to his face.

"Touch my little brother again and you're fucked."

Those were the only words to leave the older boy's mouth before he turned and walked away, disappearing into the mist left by the water bouncing off the pavement.

See this isn't the story of some innocent boy who was getting bullied. This was a boy who had messed around with the wrong people, living a life he wasn't built for all so he could impress his friends. But as he looked around, blood dripping onto his shoes as it poured from his nose, they were nowhere to be found.

He stomped back home, his hoodie and puffer jacket soaked through due to being lay in a puddle and before he could open his door, it swung open. The disappointed, albeit sympathetic face of his mother meeting his own battered and bruised one.

"I told you." Was all she could say to her son before she opened her arms and embraced him as his tears and clothes slowly soaked into the fabric of her own.

"She knew what he would get up to when he wasn't home, fighting, causing trouble, and being everywhere he shouldn't be. But she knew the only way the hard-headed brat before her would stop was if something like this happened and as much as he hated to admit it, everything his mother said was true. There is always a bigger fish.

See the boy was what many in Britain would refer to as a 'Roadman', he hated that term but the clothes, the behavior, and the way he spoke when his mother wasn't around all added up to that shitty title being given to him. But he knew that was what he needed to do to fit in. And fit in he did. At the cost of others who didn't deserve it. He had no grudges and he got along well with everyone. But peer pressure is like poison when it comes to teens and he was no different.

4 hours prior

It was around 2 pm and the boy could be seen with a large group of youngsters wandering the streets before they saw another kid from their school, after some 'negotiation,' the boy was told he would be the one to approach and beat the unknowing victim up.

"Guys, he hasn't done a thing what's your problem?"
The boy tried to argue.
"It's him or you (y/n). Are you too scared or something? What a pussy."
One of the other guys in the group taunted.

(y/n) was no pushover, he was one of the bigger guys in their year group and could handle himself fine, but even he knew what getting jumped would do to him. So he caved, and he attacked the lone victim in broad daylight. He didn't account for an older sibling, however.

After the deed was done and the group had moved on they were later called over by a much bigger guy, around 6'3, and tried to play the tough act. But he wasn't paying attention as his eyes locked on (y/n).

"Found you, you little prick"
The group scattered leaving (y/n) alone and on instinct alone, he ran as fast as he could, chased through alleyways, their local park, and finally the council estate (y/n) lived on.

After a beating that seemed to last for hours.

"Touch my little brother again and you're fucked."

Back to present

"Finally learned your lesson then?"
(y/n)'s mum teased as she loaded his dirtied clothes into the washing machine. He'd washed up in the shower and was eating a bacon sandwich his mum had made for him to help warm him up.

"Yea..."
He wasn't scared to admit he was ashamed, not because he was beaten up, he knew he deserved it. But because of what he had done to get beat up, he was ashamed for running instead of just taking his punishment. This wasn't what he wanted to be.

"You're a bright, talented boy. Your music and lyrics are great too by the way."
His mum started.

"Wait you saw them?"
(y/n)'s face heated up in clear embarrassment.
"You've been snooping again!"
He was a little mad but when his mother gave him a stern look

"Look at your face and give me one reason why I don't have a right to. You're a little trouble maker and you know it."
His mum smiled at him knowing she had won once again.

"You're grounded by the way."

Later that night

The boy was in his room, lying in bed staring at the ceiling as he got lost in his thoughts before his 5-year-old little brother barged in his room.

"Back from your dads then?"

The little boy ran into his brother's arms and gave him the biggest squeeze he could muster. It made him feel worse about what he had done, he knew if someone hurt his brother he would do the same, yet he still did it to someone else. But that didn't matter now. What mattered was spending some time with his best friend and sibling before they both had to sleep. So that's what they did, playing Mario Kart (very slowly) and watching Paw Patrol (at the young master's request) and as the night got darker, (y/n)'s younger brother fell asleep, only to be carried to bed, tucked in and left to rest, (y/n) following soon after.