Fighting Family

25

Axel's POV

"Did something happen at school," Jax asked and I chose to ignore him as I ran faster.

He kept up with my speed easily and I hated him more for that. My lungs burned and my legs felt like they were being stabbed yet Jax looked like we were simply taking a stroll downtown. I gritted my teeth as I pushed myself harder.

"You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to," Jax said with a shrug. "But I'm here if you need to vent, or if you don't want me, there are two other people in my head. You have options."

"Nothing happened," I seethed. Jax only hummed like he didn't really believe me. "It was nothing!"

"So something did happen, it just wasn't important," Jax said. "I know we aren't the same person but we at least cope with things the same way. Running and working out helps but I've noticed that talking and just being able to scream at people helps calm me down too. A lot faster than running alone. I'm not going to force you but I do want you to know that you can only run for so long before you pass out. Trust me, I learned that the hard way."

I scoffed but knew he had a point. I bit my lip as I continued to run before simply giving up and slowing to a walk.

I had walked through the door pissed when we got home from school. Jax had been the one to pick us up since everyone else was busy and while I was fine with just going to my room and sitting in my anger, Jax had stopped me before I even got to the stairs.

"Want to get out of here for a minute," he asked with a weird look in his eyes.

"And do what?"

"Run," he said with a shrug. "You look like you need it." I looked at Weylyn and he simply nodded, already knowing I could use it.

"We're supposed to do homework right after school," I told him. "I don't want Callum to be mad at you."

"Callum will understand if it's for a good reason. Trying to do homework while you're mad will only make you more frustrated and you won't end up learning anything. It's best if you get all this energy out and then try homework."

"And you're sure Callum won't be mad?"

"Positive," Jax nodded as he pulled out his phone to text Callum that we were going on a 'wellness run'. I made him wait until Callum texted back before nodding and walking out the door.

"School sucks," I sighed after a while of us walking in silence.

"Agreed," Jax scoffed.

"You didn't like school?"

"I hated it, especially before camp. Everyone other than the two friends that I had thought I was in a gang or some shit. There was this one asshole football player that always tried to fight me and then I got in trouble when I beat him. Like what did he expect when he tried to fight the alleged gang member?"

"You were bullied?" Jax shrugged with a small frown.

"Not really bullied, most people left me alone and some of the braver ones spread rumors. It was really just that one guy that gave me a hard time." I hummed and he looked down at me. "You getting bullied? I'll go beat up a child." I should feel scared but after seeing Jax shove his face into my brother's neck half asleep, it was hard to see him as scary.

"I can handle it," I shrugged.

"So you are being bullied?"

"I don't think it's considered bullying," I said with a shrug as I looked down at the ground, kicking a small rock and watching it roll until I could kick it again. "It might be a one-time thing."

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" I shrugged again. I was still mad about it and Jax said talking could help but I didn't want him to make anything worse.

"Are you going to tell Callum?" Jax paused for a second, a small frown covering his face as he thought.

"Depends on what it is. If you're getting hurt, yes. If someone is talking shit, probably not until it starts affecting your mental health. I will always be on your side, regardless of if I tell Callum about what's going on. If you say you're fine and still appear to be fine, I'll keep it between us until you come home with a black eye but the second you start acting weird and I think this conversation could be the cause of it, I'm going to tell him just so we can help you." I bit my lip as I thought.

"I don't want you to tell Callum about this. I know he's going to over react and he's going to go down to the school the second he hears about it."

"And you don't think I will?"

"I think you would understand more." Jax nodded and gestured for me to continue. "Some asshole called me a faggot. It's literally nothing. It just pisses me off. I'm not gay. I know all of you are gay and I have nothing against that but don't call me that! I'm not gay and saying slurs to anyone is just a piece of shit thing to do! And Weylyn heard it and I don't know for sure but I think he's gay and is just scared to be out so he started tearing up and then the guy called him a fucking baby and I kind of got in his face and yelled at him a little bit until he left us alone and now I'm just pissed."

"Callum would punch a child," Jax agreed with a small sigh. "I'm tempted to but that would probably just make everything worse for all of us. I know it's weird to hear this from someone you barely know, but I'm proud of you for not throwing a punch. That has always been a fighting word for me. I've knocked people out for just saying it near me back when I was in school. I would have thrown that punch before I even fully thought it through." I shrugged as I kicked the rock again, watching as it rolled before stopping.

"It doesn't affect me as much I guess, it's just the fact that he said it like he had any right to in front of Weylyn. I don't care what anyone says to me but no one is going to say shit to him. I won't allow it."

"I get it. I wouldn't let that slide if someone said it to any of my husbands. I don't have brothers so it's a little different but if you love a person, you want to stand up for them. Do you think he's going to be stupid enough to start more shit?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I hope not but I also don't know him at all so he might just be a stupid asshole who doesn't know how to leave people alone." Jax nodded with a grim frown.

"If you feel comfortable, I want to know if it happens again. Even if he only says it to you and it doesn't affect Weylyn at all, he can't go around saying that."

"What are you going to do if he does?"

"I'm going to go to the school. I won't tell Callum. I think he would try to make it bigger than just a high school punk trying new words but I'm not going to let him get away with it without at least a little detention and a call home."

"Sounds a lot better than what Callum would do," I laughed and Jax's mouth twitched up slightly.

"God, I love that man but he would have the whole damn school district involved."

We walked in silence for a while before I turned around and began walking back home. Jax followed, looking slightly more relaxed than he had when he offered to run with me.

"Are you feeling better," he asked as he turned the last corner on the way home.

"A little. I'm still mad it happened but at least I don't feel like hunting him down anymore." Jax threw his head back laughing before pushing my shoulder slightly.

"Take a good look at me," he said, a smile still wide on his face. "This is you in a few years, go ahead and prepare yourself." I scoffed and shoved him back but with the wall of muscles that he was, he barely moved. I tried to push him harder but he only stumbled slightly before breaking out into a sprint. I cursed after him before following as we raced back to the house.

He beat me by a long shot but I couldn't find it in myself to care.