𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻

⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀𝘪 𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳 .ᐟ

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝘪 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱
⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

ya got a long way to go, kid. i’ve been smokin’ since i was 12 years old. ya get used to it.

( cliff steps closer and taps his chest. )

you’re doin’ it too fast. ya need to take your time. breathe in slow.

[— ���ᴏx ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴜɴᴅ @FADEDBUILDOUT]

[ embarrassing . he turns to finish
getting air into his lungs , cheeks
turning a shade of red he can’t
control . ]

why do you — it doesn’t burn * your
lungs ?

[ the smoke seems to cling to his chest
cavity . grimacing , but trying again . ]

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

( amused. )

ya pop ya cherry? you’re goin’ to need a little practice.

( his own cigarette dangles between two fingers. sly smile as he takes a puff with ease. )

[— ꜰᴏx ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏᴜɴᴅ @FADEDBUILDOUT]

g .

[ inhaling from a half stubbed cigarette .
not the best first attempt at smoking
but the smell tempted him .

stuttered coughing immediately after . ]

[adele 🐈‍⬛ @adeleaxekilla]

fool me once thats it im killing myself

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

https://t.co/S7OD7CP0VY

pretty high

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

https://t.co/S7OD7CP0VY

to me. . . a puppy

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

he’s working. his version of working being kicking the fuck out of a guy and throwing him around.

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

he was low on cash. it wasn’t his proudest moment. as he runs through the options in his mind, cliff knows that only *one person can really help him in this situation. so, with a heavy sigh, he dials @hisbecoming’s number from memory and waits for the verbal lashing to come.

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

he has one call, and he has to make it count.

cliff glances behind him as officers loom near. it’s not the first time that he’s been here, but it’s definitely been awhile. not that he’s been on good behavior. he just got sneakier.

+

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

his stomach always drops when he hears his dad’s voice on the telephone, clutching the phone and talking low in the kitchen.

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

when they get to lucky’s, robert shoots one look his way before fetching him some ice and a rag.

‘ if you’re goin’ to keep bloodyin’ up my rags, rockwell, then i’m goin’ to start pullin’ the cost outta ya check. ’

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

the fact that he’s willing to tell charlie at all proves how much that he trusts them. cliff has never been a very open guy. he’s too prideful. too concerned with others and keeping them happy.

cliff squeezes their hand in turn.

+

[˖ ࣪ ‍ 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]

the tension in his body seems to melt as if the truth itself was weighing him down. “ i’m not like those big guys. they don’t know what it’s like to be me. ”

he cracks a lopsided smile. “ true love’s kiss, ” he quips.

+

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

“ i know what lucky’s got for my lip— a big ol’ kiss, ” he jokes, leaning in with puckered lips soon afterwards.

[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]

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]

so, i told him what he could do with his money, and he beat my ass and turned my clothes inside out. guess what? i didn’t have the money. imagine that, ” cliff explains, eyes avoiding charlie. he’s embarrassed, ashamed. he’s rarely lost a fight.

+

[𝙲𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 @RISINGSHOWMAN]

it’s not fair to make everyone around him miserable too.

“ robert has good ice. ”

[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]

“ ma can’t see— no way. i’m not goin’ back home. ” it’s stupid, and he knows it. it’s not like he can hide the fact that he is injured until the signs heal. they’re far too severe to be hidden, but he can’t bring himself to do it.

[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]

“ 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