Step-Brothers

~Chapter Forty-Six~

Rich storms towards him with a purpose. The man, drunk as always.

"Where the FUCK have you two fuckers been? Fuckin' each other up the ass behind some buildin' or somethin'???" Rich, crossing the lawn, says dangerously,

"Jake, take a drive."

"Rich I-" He stops himself and just gets in his car.

"Where's he goin'? That Bastard's got to come back."

"No the fuck he doesn't." then he straight up decks the guy in the jaw. Jake waits at a park. On the bench. Waiting for Rich to call or text. Telling him it's okay to come back. It's two hours before he hears anything, getting a text saying

R: [Do you know where Heere lives?]

Ja: [Yeah. Why?]

R: [Because that's where I am with our stuff. Do not go back to the house.]

Jake jumps in his car and speeds to his house to pick up Rich. Once he parks, he gets out and takes Rich's face in his. Rich has their stuff on the ground at his feet. He tries to keep Jake an arm's distance away. He's bloodied, bruised. It doesn't work. Jake holds him a little tight in fear it'll hurt.

"I'm so sorry.."

"Jake, I'm gonna bleed on your shirt if you don't -" his voice is hoarse from yelling.

"I don't care."

"We'll have to live out of the car for a bit, I... I just couldn't stand to live there if he's hurting you." Jake nods.

"I have some tissues in the car we can clean up your face with."

"... Thanks..." Jake cleans him up and they sleep in the car. It takes awhile. but it happens. In the morning, Jake just buttons up his jacket to cover the blood but Rich looks pretty bad. Rich looks like he got involved in a goddamn meat grinder and everyone with functioning eyes notices. Most people just think he got into another bad fight after school. When Jeremy sees him, he's immediately very worried.

"Rich-!"

"Don't say shit, I'm fine. Just fucking peachy. I just gotta wash the dried blood off."

"Can..... Can I ask what happened?"

"Long story short, Jake and I don't live with my dad anymore and I lost my first fight in years."

"So... neither of you have anywhere to stay?"

"Nope. Slept in Jake's car last night."

"Well.... Maybe we could house you for a bit? But that would mean me staying with Michael a lot more so you'd have to get used to Evan and Jared."

"Uh... Look, I stood outside your house so Jake could find me easy last night and I could very faintly smell somebody in heat. I don't think you want to take in two alphas right now."

"Shit, okay..... maybe Michael's? His brother moved out yesterday which means they have another room."

"If he'll allow me in his fuckin house. Jake will be welcome I'm sure, but me?"

"I can convince him. If not by lunch, then definitely be the end of the day."

"... That'd be so great, Jeremy, just until I can afford to get us out own place, in when we got here I went to the library, went online, applied for a bunch of jobs, I'm hoping to get two in order to get us a place and pay rent and for utilities and stuff. "

"Jake did the same thing. I saw him earlier when I came in." Rich sighs.

"Least we're both thinking ahead..."

"Well... I'll leave you to you and go try to convince Michael, alright?" He's so calm about this. Not like anyone else who'd probably freak out and keep asking if he was okay or if he needed anything.

"... Yeah. Thanks, Jeremy." Then Jeremy is off finding Michael at his locker.

"Michael, I need to ask you for a favor."

"Shoot, Jer."

"well A recent... incident has happened where two.. friends are in desperate need of your extra room for a little bit."

"All right, I'd have to see if my dad would allow it, cause you know my Mamá would love to have someone use Sam's room. Who is it?"

"uh, it's uh, Rich and Jake." Michael closes his locker.

"No."

"Michael please, they're sleeping in Jake's car. They're going through the same thing Jared did."

"And what says Richard Goranski deserves my goddamn help here, huh? Jake sure, I'll let Jake stay, but not Rich. I will not tolerate his shit in my own home. No."

"Michael Please. Rich is trying, he really is. Both of them have applied to tons of jobs. They're gonna get their own place when they can, they just need somewhere to be until then."

"...Jeremy you know we're just gonna fight, right?"

"What are you gonna fight about? When you just stay in each other's rooms away from each other. And if you want, you can come over to my house if Rich is aggravating you."

"We'll fight because he's a dick and I can't keep my fucking mouth shut, might as well lock myself in the basement whenever he's there."

"I promise you Michael, he's trying to get better. trying not to be a dick."

"Sure he his, to YOU."

"Not only to me Michael."

"Yes only to you, he tried to ban off one and when he realized I wouldn't cause he was still a dick to you he came back full force! Hasn't quit since! So I run my mouth until he puts his fist through it!"

"You just can't cure anger issues over night Michael. At least he's trying. Which is something you're not doing. I've repeatedly told you to at least try to not run your mouth."

"And I try. It's when he says shit first I can't shut up. No."

"I just.... I need you to try harder. Look, I know this is a rough year for all of us, but I'm trying to help them. They need the help. I would've taken them in myself if it weren't for Evan and Jared."

"And I need you to understand that I've got issues too and he aggravates them. I run my mouth out of anxiety and you don't see me doing it at home often, do you? My house, my fucking basement is my safe space, and I'm not sharing it with that fucker. They can wait till Evan's heat is over if you want to take them in. I'm not fucking getting involved." Jeremy sighs. He can't tell Rich that he isn't aloud. he just can't.

"Fuck Rich and everything he stands for, I don't forgive this easily." then he's storming off to class. Jeremy mumbles to himself as he heads to his class.