stockholm syndrome - tracob

seventeen

When he got downstairs his dad and brother were already eating. "Hope you like this one," his father said with a smile. Troye smiled back and sat down.

"You know," Steele said, his mouth still full of food and making disgusting chewing noises. "I could teach you a thing or two about self-defence." Troye looked up, surprised.

"Why?"

"You know, so you don't get kidnapped again. That way next time you'll at least be able to fight them off before they put you in a hole somewhere."

Troye flinched. "Steele!" his dad said, exasperated. "How could you say something like that?"

"It's fine, dad," Troye said in a small voice.

"No, it is not!" Shaun replied. "It is not fine. He is not fine. This is not fine!" He smacked his flat hand on the table. Steele just laughed.

"Chill out dad, I didn't mean it. Not completely." He turned to Troye. "Fact is you're still a wuss. Maybe you should-"

Shaun stopped him. "Steele. Fuck off."

A deafening silence followed. Never had Troye heard his dad use foul language like this. Not even when his mum had died. Bas, who had been standing in the doorway, straightened his back and one of the two housekeepers shuffled away nervously. Steele broke the silence by laughing again, though this time more nervously. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead took a huge bite of a pizza slice as his dad gave him a warning stare.

Troye studied Steele. What kind of person had his brother become? How could this boy, who used to be such a sweet and caring older brother, turn into... This?

How could his brother have turned into this... thug, with worn out shoes, grey washed ripped jeans, a white tee and a leather, short sleeved jacket accompanied by chains around his neck and silver earrings in both ears. His tattoos in his neck, on his arms and on his legs were clearly visible. Troye squinted his eyes. Wait, he didn't know that one... That green.. Wait. What? Was that a dragon?

The gears in Troye's head were chinking and turning. Why did he feel like he should know something about this? What was feeling familiar about this picture? As if someone had mentioned something about it before.. He could still hear his voice...

Troye froze as he was midway in taking a bite of his pizza.

"Dedraak," he whispered softly. Steele froze as well.

"What did you say?"

"Dedraak. It's not a name. It's 'De Draak'. Means 'The Dragon' in Dutch. It's you. It was you."

Steele looked at him as if he was seeing a ghost.

"What are you talking about, Troye?" his dad asked, confused. Troye ignored him.

"It was you who Jacob saw kissing with Curt. You. You were the one who Curt cheated with. You're gay."

Shaun blinked his eyes. "What? What are you talking about Troye? Who are Jacob and Curt? Steele?"

Steele looked at his father and back at Troye, back at his father and back at Troye again. "How did you..."

"I bet," Troyelicked his lips. "I bet you are also the one Curt owed his money to, aren't you?"

Steele sat up straight. "Wait. You aren't telling me you know Curt because..."

Troye smiled, the irony dawning upon him. "Yes, big brother, it was you. It's your fault. Because of your actions, your reputation... You scared Curt into doing what he did. You made him do this. You made Jacob do this." At the last sentence Troye's voice cracked. "You made Jacob get dragged into all of this...." Tears welled up in his eyes. "It's all your fault!" he then yelled. "All your fault. All your fault. All your fucking god damn shit arse fault!"