The Lake | BxB

-21- Getting Drunk

Romeo awoke the next morning feeling well rested for once. After making plans with Gabriel he hadn't done much the rest of that day, aside from smoke and mess around on his phone.

Getting up he immediately fetched his towel going to take a shower, he stood in the scalding hot water feeling it run down his body as the sound of his parents shouting became audible from downstairs. As usual.

Sighing Romeo ran a hand through his wet blonde locks in frustration. Why did they always have to fight, shout and abuse him, why couldn't he just have normal parents? Or at least a semi functional family?

After his shower Romeo dried himself off, got dressed then headed out of the bathroom and down the stairs to get a bottle of water he could have with some beer upstairs, his parents were both in the kitchen arguing away about some shit or other.

"And here he is the man of the hour..." Mrs Swift commented bitterly, turning her attention to her son. "What makes you think you're so special?" She questioned out of the blue. Romeo had clearly missed out on some context here.

"What makes you think I'm not?" Romeo challenged narrowing his eyes at his mother. He tried hard to maintain his own self worth but his parents had been making this increasingly harder, hence it was one of the many reasons he self harmed.

Romeo took a sip of his water leaning against the kitchen countertop awaiting his moms response. Mrs Swift exchanged a glance with Mr Swift who nodded then answered for her. "What your mother means, Romeo. Is that you're wasting money, our money not even your own. You're wasting water by taking century long showers, and you're wasting oxygen by being a fucking useless brat" Mr Swift explained harshly malice echoing in his remarks.

Romeo rolled his eyes letting out a huff of annoyance. "You have longer showers than a weeks worth of mine, so don't even try that shit on me" Romeo hissed

"Language!" Mrs Swift snapped in irritation.

"Shut the fuck up yeah? I can do what I like, I can speak however I want, you fuckers don't own me!" Romeo retorted slamming his fist on the countertop then beginning to storm off, however his dad wasn't having it.

"I'll show you who owns you you worthless piece of shit!" Mr Swift yelled pushing Romeo roughly backwards. Romeo fell hard against the fridge shielding his head for fear of reopening the stitches and having to go back to hospital. Seemingly also conscious of this Mrs Swift quickly intervened stepping in front of Mr Swift.

"Darling, if he has to go to hospital again the pigs will have us for it. Besides, he already knows he's a useless faggot" Mrs Swift insisted flashing Romeo a dirty look. Of course she couldn't just defend him. She had to have an ulterior motive. No love from her. Not that Romeo expected any in the first place.

Romeo lay on the ground wincing as he tried to stand up. "It's so hard to not beat the shit out of that motherfucker. He makes me so angry!" Mr Swift hissed at his wife grasping her hand in his own.

"Once those dumb doctors have cleared him with a good bill of health we can make him suffer, together" Mrs Swift answered calmly. She was the brains in the marriage. Mr Swift would've been charged with abuse years ago if it weren't for her. He was about as clever as a pile of sticks.

"Get a room" Romeo whispered from below them managing to fully sit up but feeling extremely dizzy. They sounded like a deranged killer couple planning their next murder.

"You aren't included in this conversation!"

Mr Swift yelled landing a kick on Romeos shin. Romeo recoiled groaning in pain as he slumped back to the floor. He needed to stop answering back to them.

"You need to learn your place in this house child, understood?" Mrs Swift threatened intimidatingly. Romeo just nodded, their idea was children were to always do as they were told, to be seen and not heard. If that meant no more beatings for today then so be it. He'd play by their twisted, archaic rule book.

Once his parents had left the kitchen Romeo scrambled up clumsily making his way back upstairs to where he knew he'd find solace. The familiar itch to hurt himself was swirling around in his mind.

Sitting carefully on his bed Romeo picked the blade up gingerly. He then rolled his sleeve up taking a deep breath and digging it in. Sharp pain coursed through his arm as the blade made its way down his skin. Romeo heaved a sigh of relief as he withdrew it then picked a new spot repeating the process.

He did this numerous times until he felt he'd done enough. Now that he wasn't by the lake he wouldn't have to torture himself further by putting concealer over it. No one would be seeing his wrists until he next saw his boyfriend. So he could hold off until then when it would be less painful.

Looking down at his discarded phone Romeo considered calling Gabriel, maybe trying to speak about how he was feeling and what had happened...

No. That'd be weak. He couldn't do that, he couldn't give Gabriel more reasons to think he was a weak, mentally scarred junkie that couldn't defend himself properly.

Sighing Romeo quickly washed the stray blood off of his arms in the sink watching the ruby red liquid swirl around the bowl. This wasn't how it always had to be, or maybe it was. Romeo wasn't really certain anymore that he'd ever be able to break this bad habit.

Collapsing back onto his bed with a beer can in hand Romeo decided to drink his woes away. He still had 5 left from yesterday so chugged each can down one by one, the bitter sting of the foul tasting substance burned his throat but Romeo didn't care, anything was better than thinking about how shitty his life was. Even if it meant rendering himself unconscious. Finishing the last can Romeo began to doze off. He'd barely even had more than a cup of water to chase it down with so was really feeling the effects. The bottle he'd fetched from the kitchen standing disused on his bedside table.

Letting his mind wander away from his own bad habits and shitty home life Romeo shut his eyes losing consciousness lying peacefully on his mattress. Maybe in the morning, or whenever it was he woke up. He could give Gabriel a ring. Just to chat, just to hear the brunettes voice and listen to him talk about one thing or another. It would be a better alternative to hurting himself more or being hurt more by his parents.

Silence filled the bedroom as Romeo slept soundly, his parents were also passed out together on the couch content with what they'd done to their own son.

Gabriel meanwhile was walking his dog, completely unaware of what had transpired that day for the boy he loved so dearly, the boy who had been consuming his thoughts since the first time he laid eyes on him across the lake. The boy for which he was counting down the hours until he saw him again.