Mess with me, Mess with you (boyxboy)

Tales to be told

"Thousands of doubts behind me
More thousands of mistrust behind me"
-ENHYPENS "given-taken" (debut)
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
———————————————————————————————————————————————————

When one door closes, another one opens. That's how it is, and that's how it always will be. Through thick and thin, through love and hate, opportunities will come and go. This is Jakes opportunity, his chance to take what's offered and start again. That doesn't come often, but now it does. Will he take the next step?

"Between giving and taking, this is my time for proving"

Jake mumbles to himself while listening to ENHYPENS new song. He had just walked Allan home from Silver row high, together just the two of them. Now he had to walk this next part alone, both physically and metaphorically.

Jake continues to hum along with the songs, as the sun continues to set, and the cars drive past him faster and faster. He is far from silver row high now, it's already been two hours since the fight, and one hour since they left the school. His bruises were treated by Allan, but the bandages feel rough against his skin, and the pain isn't going away. His adrenaline is gone.

The buildings he passes get grayer and more worn out the further into his neighborhood he gets. This part is really poor, but it's his home after all. The old apartment building, floor 8. That's where he moved in together with Tommy and Jimmy after their fathers death, several years ago.

Jake hopes that Tommy and Jimmy are home.

There are lots of tales to be told, and this time they are about him. He is going to tell them the truth.

"I'm home"
He announces tiredly into the dark apartment, and closes the door behind him. Jake drags his tired body to his room, and throws his worn out bag onto the bed.

One step at a time, he concludes to himself. He takes off his shirt, that is stained with blood to the point where it's useless to try to wash it. His white bandages, partly stained with blood, are also on full display, across his chest and stomach and arms.

He takes off his pants and changes into sweats, ruffling his hair and yawning.

"Jake?"

Jimmy stands in the doorway to his room, clearly looking at his bandages and scars.

"What happened, why did I get a call that you left school early?"

Jake mentally rolls his eyes. After several years, this is the day when the teachers finally dare to call his home? Are his threats not working anymore? whatever, there is not much left of school anyways...

Jimmy approaches Jake and takes a closer look at his bruises, squinting his eyes. Jake sighs.

"Fight between the kings"

Jimmy looks at him with a defeated look.

"Again?"

"No, actually this time it was way more important, that's what I want to talk about with you and Tommy... is he home?"

Jake looks down. He was doing fine during the walk, not feeling nervous at all. Suddenly he thinks about not coming out at all, maybe that would be the best.

On the other hand, him and his brothers aren't that close, so they wouldn't care much. Also they don't seem to be that homophobic really. If something goes wrong he can just make a run for it, maybe live at Devon's or Allan's place until he can get a job and find his own. Living a lie is not an option anymore, because that would just be cowardly on his part.