˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒

⠀ ⠀ 𓈒𓈒𓈒 ⠀⠀ 𝒏𝐨𝐰 ‍𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 ‍𝙙𝙤𝙜𝙨 ‍𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 ‍𝖿𝗈𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 ‍𝒎𝒆 ⠀ !⠀ ⠀

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

⠀

⌗ 𝒕𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 ꜝ 𓂃 ੭

a depiction of @televandalists’
past ; in which they are nineteen
years old, living within the confines
of an abusive environment.
⠀

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

home.

“ margaret. is everything okay? you look awfully shaken up. ”

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

it’s rare these days that helena moore is the one to answer a knock at the door. most of the time, visitors only come to confer with her husband ; and on very few occasions, her eldest son.

cigarette holder sits gracefully between gloved

[𝕃𝕌ℂ𝕂𝕐'𝕊 @LUCKYSGANG]

margaret braved the hill, but she was alone this time. no son by her side. part of her hoped that cliff would answer the door, but another part of her knew that @hisbecoming would have made him call if he had forgotten. her frame trembled as she knocked.

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

light footsteps descend the stairs, and soon enough, charlie is at his mother’s side, alex on his hip.

concern is quick to surface within his gaze, though he tries not to appear emotional before the matriarch of the

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

attached. ”

just then, cliff leans in and puckers his lips, effectively sending charlie into a fit of laughter.

“ oh, and you figure that will work better than the ice? ”

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

charlie listens, choosing to fix his eyes upon the path ahead rather than cliff.

it’s an act of respect ; they know this is embarrassing for him, and they don’t want to make matters worse by pinning him down underneath a clinical

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

“ . . . i mouthed off to one of the big guys. he was givin’ me a bunch of shit and sayin’ i stole money from ‘em, and i didn’t. i know better than to fuck with those guys. he wouldn’t let it go, though.

+

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

gaze.

they do, however, give his hand a squeeze, attempting to offer some reassurance.

“ you were honest. they can’t fault you for that, ” he replies. “ it wasn’t your fault. those imbeciles would lose their own heads if they weren’t

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

of it is meant for me.

[ mostly due to that incessant, looming sense that he won’t be on this earth long enough. ]

i haven’t felt that way about anyone before.

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

it’s a big responsibility.

[ the tot hums, making an ‘ mmm ’ sound as he tastes the fruit, imitating none other than cliff himself –- already a foodie at heart.

charlie chuckles, wiping at his mouth with a napkin. ]

i don’t think any

[𝕃𝕌ℂ𝕂𝕐'𝕊 @LUCKYSGANG]

he acts like it. i never saw him settle down until he met frankie.

( robert shakes his head. he’s now smashing a cherry and putting it in little alex’s mouth. )

i don’t wanna play the game forever. i wanna retire one day. have a wife and some kids.

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

[ a pearly white, gap – toothed smile is flashed his way in turn. charlie shakes their head, index finger tracing over a carving in the bar top. ]

do you think he wants everybody?

[𝕃𝕌ℂ𝕂𝕐'𝕊 @LUCKYSGANG]

( robert bursts into laughter, slapping the bar as he does so. )

he’ll get over it. he can’t have everybody.

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

[ charlie wrinkles their nose, turning their burning face away. even in their embarrassment, they manage to give it right back to robert. ]

you know he might get jealous.

[𝕃𝕌ℂ𝕂𝕐'𝕊 @LUCKYSGANG]

[ r ]

ya can get a big wet one from me, c.d.

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

[ giggling quietly behind their hand , ]

[𝕃𝕌ℂ𝕂𝕐'𝕊 @LUCKYSGANG]

[ r ]

that motherfucker wishes he could get a kiss from me

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

with cliff.

as the pair make their way down the street, charlie worries at the inside of their cheek, stealing a glance at their companion every now and then.

“ you really won’t tell me what’s going on? ”

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

charlie nods, relieved, a soft sigh slipping past slightly parted tiers. they accept the offered hand, fingers interlocking with ease. two pieces of the same puzzle.

“ maybe he has something for your lip, too, ” he muses, falling into pace

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

he takes a shallow breath. it feels like his lungs are on fire. “ yeah, i guess the bar, ” cliff agrees.

he steps from the edge and offers his hand out. a silent apology for raising his voice in his panicked state. everything that happens to him is his own fault.

+

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

charlie’s eyes widen in unison. he leans away just a little, shoulders tense ; it feels like he’s made a mistake.

“ all right, ” he relents, swallowing dryly. back to the drawing board. “ the bar? ”

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

he hasn’t shown anyone. he hid in the back at lucky’s for awhile until he could muster the courage to stand back up. then, he spotted charlie.

“ no! ” cliff shouts, eyes flying wide with panic. he catches himself and presses his lips together. it only agitates his busted lip.

+

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

home? we really ought to get you some ice. ”

brows lift, expectant, as they gesture down the street. “ please? ”

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

“ did i hurt you? ” charlie queries, hands flying back to their sides, still itching to reach for his face.

the boy shakes his head, either out of sheer disgust or in an attempt to scold himself for fussing over it.

“ is your mother

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

“ . . you have the best posture of anyone in the city. nothin’. i just got too smart. that’s all. it’ll go away, ” cliff insists, wishing the conversation would just end.

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

@ghostlyconman https://t.co/1huZkjpyxz charlie loves him so BAD

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

posture, ” they murmur, feeling incredibly silly about it now. “ what happened to you? ”

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 𝙿𝚃꩜𝙻𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙴𝙰 𓈒 @hisbecoming]

charlie’s eyes flit downwards, immediately drawn to exposed ribcage. they reach for him almost instinctively ; lifting his shirt and brushing cold fingertips over the tender area, wincing as they assess the damage.

“ i don’t want to have poor

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

“ you were in full concentration. who am i to interrupt? ” cliff shoots back playfully. his hand raises to his lip as if he forgot about his injury, lifting his shirt to reveal the bruises on his ribs.

+