When the Day Met the Night {RYDEN}

Chapter 9: the end of all things

*Forgive me for I do not know exactly how courts work*

Also get ready for a longer chapter today

***

POV: Ryan

"Where is he?" he asked, still shaking in Brendon's arms.

"The cops arrested your dad. He's going on trial. They... Want you to be there as a witness Saturday as long as you're okay with that..."

Ryan paused for a moment before speaking again. "As long as you're there with me I'll be okay... How long have you been here?"

"I've been right by your side this whole time. All three days you've bee-"

"three days?"

Ryan looked down at his arm. Bandaged all the way from his palm to his shoulder. But that was only what he could see. When he shifted he felt bandages on his stomach as well. He winced as he realized the pain, and laid back down onto the bed.

"Are you okay?" Brendon asked, laying back down beside him.

"yeah... It just... Hurts."

Brendon placed his hand on Ryan's face, rubbing his thumb on the other boy's cheek. After a while of silence he turned his head to face Brendon.

"Bren... I... I need to explain something." he took a deep breath before continuing. "My dad... Well when I was younger and I was... First figuring out my sexuality... My dad figured out that I liked guys. But, being the homophobic asshole he is... He tried to beat it out of me. I've always been too scared to accept the fact and... Brendon I... I think I love you."

Brendon smiled, and kissed Ryan's forehead. "You already know I love you, honey. I love you so so so much."

Ryan smiled as Brendon pulled himself closer. He had never felt accepted. He had never felt comfortable with anyone knowing things like this. But he felt all of these things when he was with Brendon.

***

POV: Brendon

"Honey... The trial is today. We need to get up to the courthouse."

He watched as the other boy's eyes flickered open.

"What time is it?" he asked drowsily.

"it's about lunchtime I think. Now get up, my mom brought you some clean clothes."

Brendon stood up and grabbed the clothes off of the chair. He. Had already gotten changed, and had just been waiting for Ryan to get up.

He helped Ryan stand up and stepped out of the room to let him change. Once they made it out Brendon drove them up to the courthouse where the trial was being held. Ryan held his hand tightly as they walked together into the building.

They had walked in right before it had started, and so they sat down and waited.

"Bren... I'm scared."

"Don't be, nothing is going to happen. He won't hurt you any more."

Brendon put his arm around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head. "I'm going to be right here the whole time."

They watched as Ryan's father was escorted into the courtroom, as he stared at the two boys in disgust.

He mumbled something under his breath and kept walking to where he was being taken.

The case had already gone for a couple days, and so when the judge started she started with asking Ryan to come up to the witness stand.

"Ryan, has your father caused harm to you before this incident?"

He looked over to his father, who just looked straight ahead as if he was trying to ignore Ryan overall. He took another deep breath before responding.

"Yes, your honor."

"Is your father always drunk when he causes harm to you?"

"Most of the time."

"Okay." She opened a folder in front of her on her desk. "Would you mind showing where you were cut by your father?"

Ryan looked over to Brendon, then to his arm as he took off his jacket and pulled up his sleeve, showing the pink scar and stitches holding it together. It ran from the middle of his palm up and further past where he held his sleeve. He hated seeing it... But at least it made his self harm scars seem less... Terrifying... To people.

"it goes up to my shoulder." he said, tracing the line under the sleeve. "and I also have this." he said, lifting the bottom of his shirt to show the stitches on his stomach.

"What exactly happened the night of the incident?"

Ryan told her the whole story. About how he came home from school as usual. His dad came home drunk as usual. About the fight. The punch. The knife.

He nearly broke out in tears, and he would have if Brendon wasn't there. He hated having to retell that story. But he had to, his father was too wasted to remember.

"Ryan, what is it like living with your father?"

"Excuse me for saying this, but it's a living Hell."

"Could you elaborate?"

"The second he found out I showed interest in guys he tried to beat it out of me. He always tells me I should kill myself. He encourages my self harm and I honestly have not heard I kind word from him since my mom died."

Ryan was really about to cry now. He hated this. He hated talking about this. He wanted to leave.

A tear slipped from his eyes and he tried to hide it, but Brendon saw. He gave him a reassuring look.

"George, is this true?"

"every goddamn word of it. that son of a bitch never had any respect-"

Ryan broke. The dam holding everything back broke inside his mind and spilled out, all of the tears and the pent up anger.

"Respect has nothing to do with this, dad. I never had respect for you because you never had respect for me. You never had respect for my mom. You never had respect for anyone, not even yourself! Because if you had any respect for any of us you would waste your days getting wasted to come home and beat me! You're a selfish asshole and I hate you!" He shouted at his father through the waterfalls coming from his tear ducts.

Brendon ran over to hold him back from charging at his father and held him closely, trying to calm him down.

The judge struck her gavel on the block, silencing the whole room.

"do you want to leave?" he whispered.

"No. I need to stay."

***

They left the courthouse after the trial and Ryan had finally run out of tears. All of the things his father had said about him came back to him like a punch in the gut. But he had no tears left to cry.

"so... What now?" he asked as they walked to Brendon's car.

"well, you can come live with me. I've already talked it over with my mom, and she said that if you want to go to college she can help."

"I don't think I want to go to college. I never planned for anything. Plus, I sorta want to... Focus on music. There isn't really anything else I would be interested in."

Brendon put his arm around Ryan's waist. "You can do whatever you want, honey. Just as long as you're happy."

The End.

***

YEP SO THAT HAPPENED

I have more fics planned

I don't have any more Ryden yet really

But I have peterick

And I have joshler

And I (sorta?) have another phan

So ye

Mkay byeee