Field - ★ - Brance

- Part Seventeen -

TW abuse, homophobia

6 months ago, Vance's POV.

I walked home from school, the sunlight warming up my face. I had skipped the last period, but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary for me. 
While trotting into the driveway I noticed my moms cars missing. "That's unusual, she should be home." I mumble to myself. I wipe the thought off my mind, assuming it's nothing important. 
I slowly enter my home. I try to walk my way over to the stairs but get stopped by my dad.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He yells, his spit droplets landing on my face.
"What do you mean..?" I question him. I watch as he pulls a crumpled paper from his pocket.

The past few weeks I've started keeping notes. Almost like a diary, but they were all loose papers. I'd leave them under my bed. It was a way for me to write down my feelings. For when I was home, and I couldn't let my emotions go by beating up some kid.
I wrote all my feelings down in these notes, every thought. They were a part of me, a vulnerable part. A part of me I couldn't let anyone see. 

I look at the note in my father's hands, immediately recognising it. It was the worst page he could've found, truly the worst. 
"You're a fucking faggot? I wanted to raise a man!" My father yelled. My face burned up, I looked into his eyes. It was the look he always gave me right before he would beat me. But it was worse this time.  

___
Current Time 

Bruce creaked open his front door. He had been at baseball practice, he was hoping that Vance would show up but after losing he was glad that he didn't. His parents weren't home. He had walked to baseball and on his way back he'd taken the route through his forest. When you don't get lost, it is surprisingly quicker.

He hadn't gotten much sleep again, he just kept thinking about yesterday. How him and Vance hugged when he had left, how they had cuddled the night before. He slowly walked up his stairs, ready to enter his room. However he paused when he heard a sound from Amy's room.

He stopped, standing still in the hall. It was giggling. Curious, Bruce turned around. He walked over to his sister's door. He knocked once, hearing the giggling stop. He slowly opened the door, instead of seeing just Amy he saw two people. Amy and Vance. 

Amy was braiding Vance's hair as he sat on his knees, a frown on his face. He glanced up at Bruce, his expression turning into a slightly embarrassed one. But it wasn't Vance's expression that Bruce noticed, it was the bruise circling his eye. "Uhm, Amy, could I borrow Vance for a minute?" She let out a small sigh as Vance got up, following Bruce to his room.
 "Don't take the braid out, I'm not done yet!" She yelled after them.

Bruce closed the door behind them and faced Vance. "Why are you here?" Bruce asked, watching Vance try to avoid their eye contact. "Well," He twirled his fingers around each other and tilted his head to the floor. "Some stuff at home. Dad was being weird, you know?" 
"What about the black eye?" Bruce said. His tone was soft. Even though he knew the answer to his question, he still asked it. "He was drunk, it's fine if you'd like me to leave. I'm sorry to come over unannounced." 

___
6 Months ago.

Vance slumped against his bedroom door. His back holding the door closed as his dad tried to knock it open. "Your mother even left because she was so ashamed." His father huffed through the door. Vance listened carefully as his father stomped down the stairs, giving up.

He let out a relieved sigh, raising his hand to his nose. He wiped the blood away, watching as it dripped down his hand. His eyes stung, he could barely hold his tears back anymore. All of this because he wrote a note. Because he was different. 

___
Current Time

Vance found himself being embraced by Bruce. Even tighter than the evening before. 
"Bruce, I'm fine, really." He mumbled. But Bruce didn't let go. Vance put his arms around him, hugging him back. "Be careful to not undo my braid, Amy will be furious." Vance joked, he smiled as he heard a muffled chuckle coming from Bruce. 

They slowly let go of each other, Vance gave him a small smile which Bruce returned. "I'm surprised you didn't kill Amy for even touching your hair." He said, struggling to hold a laugh back. "Believe me, I'm just as surprised. But I should go back, before she kills me." Vance said, grinning. 

They walked back to her room, and Vance sat down on his knees in defeat. He gave Bruce a look of hopelessness as Amy put a bunch of colourful hair ties at the end of the braid. "Perfect!" She proudly exclaimed, putting her hands on her waist. Bruce gave a small applause, snickering as he watched Vance look at him angrily. They stood up and Amy handed him a mirror.

"Oh," Vance said, hiding the disgust in his tone. "I love it..!" Amy grinned widely. They both turned around when they heard a click, behind them was Bruce with his camera, grinning even wider than Amy. "Yamada, I will end you!" Vance said. Amy hushed him, quickly taking the hair ties out and undoing the braid. "Okay, now you can end him!" She giggled.

Vance got up as Bruce quickly put his camera down. He let out a nervous laugh, backing away towards to door. "Hey.." He muttered. Vance didn't let him say anything else, instead he sprinted at him. He swiftly lifted up Yamada, grabbing him by his stomach and resting him on his shoulder. Amy let out an excited squeal. Vance laughed as Bruce let out a yell, quickly beginning to beg Vance to put him down.

"You're going to drop me! Put me down!" Bruce exclaimed, the panic in his voice being very clear. "Have some faith in me, Yamada!" Vance said. Right after he let Bruce slip off of his shoulder. Bruce let out another panicked yell as Vance caught him in his arms. Vance held him in a bridal carry. Yamada glanced around, trying to find somewhere to hold onto, but instead he was met by a flash of a camera.

"Amy! Seriously?" Bruce said, before bursting out in laughter. Vance put him down carefully as Amy proudly handed him the camera. "Perfect! Make sure to show me after you develop the picture, Bruce!" Vance laughed. But all Bruce heard was his name. Vance never said his name. 

His face burned up as he quickly glanced Vance into his blue eyes. He gained a sudden look of realisation, right before his face warmed up too. Their moment was interrupted by Amy however, claiming they just had to try more hairstyles. 

(1163 words)