All The Soft Edges (Cashby Fanfiction)

prologue

prologue

"Austin, they're calling me names again." Alan said, cuddling into his boyfriend's long arms.

"What are they saying, baby?" Austin asked, kissing Alan's forehead and staring at the sad boy in his arms.

Alan felt his chest ache at the thoughts of the names the other boys called him. The feeling only made him bury himself more into Austin's hold. "P-Princess." He stuttered out.

Alan hated being called that. It started when he was young, and his mother let him grow his hair out. He adored it, growing it to the small of his back, but when school started, the boys would tease him non stop, calling him princess and pulling his hair. Alan didn’t mind the name if someone said it in a loving way, but when the boys said it with disappointment, hatred, and anger in their voice’s, making Alan wanted to cut off every lock of his ginger hair.

After the non stop bullying, Alan’s mother made him cut it. She sat him down one day crying because she had formed a liking towards Alan’s hair, and told him she was going to cut it. Alan cried for the rest of the day, curled in his mother’s arms.

Since then, Alan has wanted to grow the hair back. Not as long as he had it before, but to his shoulders. He liked playing with the hair, and twisting it around his finger. He liked the way it felt, and its perfect shade of ginger. When he reached his junior year of high school, he decided to grow it out once again. Thinking the boys who used to tease him had matured and wouldn’t judge him on it, he started growing it.

By the time it reached the end of his chin, the names started, but so did something magical. The bullying and name calling wasn’t hitting him anymore. It was almost like he had a shield. Sometimes the words of hate would get pass the shield and stab him, but the shield helped him overcome it. Austin was the shield.

Austin was a senior finishing his last classes in order to graduate. His last class he need was Statistics, and Alan happened to be in there with him. It was the first day of his senior year, he had just sat down, when a boy came walking through the door. Austin instantly fell in love. He loved the way the boy’s hair was perfectly styled, looked like he actually cared, and how he seemed so small. Like he was going to break if you touched him. He looked perfect. Too perfect for Austin.

Austin was a troubled boy. Being held back twice, making him 20 in his senior year, he felt out of place. As well as the fact that he was covered in tattoos, incredibly tall, and liked boys, younger boys. He always like boys smaller than him. He was just drawn to them. Nothing extreme, just small.

Austin enjoyed small things.

Alan was just that, small. Being a 17 year old boy that was 5’4’’, he was quite tiny. Most of the girls were taller than him. He was just small, but he didn’t mind. He liked that.

Alan’s mother had talked to him about his likings. His height and hair. She’d always thought Alan might be more feminine than the average male, but he wasn’t. He’d always tell his mother, “I just like pretty things, can’t I be pretty?” and like any loving mother, she’d reply, “Yes sweetie, you can be whatever you want to.”

She met every word she said.

When Alan found out he liked boys, it wasn’t that weird. He’d always like boys. Had crushes on the boys on the playground when he was younger, but when he grew up, he was told of it being something different. That is wasn't normal. Alan didn’t understand, but didn’t complain, figuring it was just a phase like everyone said.

But it wasn’t a phase.

On his 14th birthday, he came out to his mother. She was more accepting than he thought. Later finding out, she knew all along. She could tell the day he started preschool. With acceptance from the only person that mattered, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

People at school never questioned him when he came out. If someone asked him, he’d tell them. He didn’t announce it in a special way, he just let it spread. People were accepting, except the boys. Some boys were fine, but others thought it was wrong. That his liking of other boys would curse them. Alan hated the days where he had to change for gym in the hallways because the boys in the dressing room didn’t want him to stare, but the teacher was kind enough to lend him his office to use.

But everything change with Austin. Austin was different. A good different, but still different. He’d stare a lot, but never spoke. Very smart, if he wanted to listen. Alan found himself attracted to him. Austin had this feeling around him. He looked rough, but he had the moments in class where Alan would see a small smile creep on his lips. That what made Alan happy.

Austin made Alan happy.

And when they got paired up for a worksheet in class, they were destined to fall in love.

And either of them minded.

They fell, fell very far. So far they couldn’t see the sun. Only light they could see was the light of their love.

They loved each other.

They love each other so much.

All the soft edges of each other.

~~~

Alice: Hope you guys enjoy the prologue. I'm not sure yet if I want to write it in first person or third. But I feel that if I write it in first, I'll trade P.O.V.s a lot, and that confuses myself, as the writer, and myself, as the reader. All support is appreciated. Hope you enjoy.