Chapter Text
It had been a few weeks since Court locked the twins up inside their bedroom. Colt had sworn to beat Court up if he ever did it again, which made the older boy laugh despite himself.
Ryland had suddenly started talking much more. He was silent for years and now he couldn’t shut up. Colt hated to say he loved it. Ryland’s voice was a comfort, especially on the days Colt didn’t feel up to talking. Ryland was really good at talking about nothing. Well…just talking at somebody to be exact. It felt like a weight lifted off Colt’s chest, not having to react or really understand Ryland’s rants but still feeling inherently included in their conversation.
Court was relieved that Ryland had started talking too. Although he loved his brother with all of his heart, he worried Ryland might not be able to pursue his STEM related dreams if he couldn’t talk much. Well, thinking about it now, Court had done no research about the STEM field, so maybe his worries were unfounded. No use thinking about it now that it wasn’t an issue anymore.
That was until one day after school Court found something missing from Ryland’s bag.
“Hey, Ry? Where’s your lunchbox?”
Ryland tensed beside Colt, both boys sitting on the ground in their bedroom playing cards. Ryland started to pick at the edge of the cards in his hands, shifting to face away from Court. Court’s eyes narrowed. He set the bag down onto the floor and crept to hug Ryland from behind, pressing a warm kiss to his little brother’s temple.
“Don’t be scared, Ry, I’m not mad. Did you lose it?” Court asked, plucking a card from Ryland’s hands and placing it down. Colt cursed under his breath as he shuffled through his own cards, trying to figure out his next move.
Ryland didn’t answer his question. Ryland could be clumsy, but he also had a certain awareness about his belongings. He always knew where his favorite toys were, and he loved that lunchbox, plastered with stickers of space. Ryland usually wouldn’t lose stuff like this.
“Ry…?”
“I’m sorry!” Ryland burst, dropping all of his cards onto the floor. Colt and Court both flinched, Colt immediately abandoning his cards to curl closer to Ryland, taking Ryland’s hands in his own.
“We’re not mad you might’ve lost your lunchbox, Ry,” Court comforted to the best of his abilities, smoothing over Ryland’s stubborn cowlick with a warm palm.
But Ryland didn’t confirm their suspicions. Colt instantly sat up straighter, nuzzling their noses together like newborn kittens which made Court’s heart warm. “Ry…” Colt grumbled, coaxing the truth out of his twin slowly but surely.
Ryland turned his face away stubbornly, his bottom lip wobbling. Court hugged Ryland tighter to his chest, brows furrowing. He hated when they kept things from each other.
“I-I’m handling it,” Ryland grumbled, hating the feeling of his words sticking in his throat, unable to get out without shaking pathetically, the threat of tears stinging his eyes.
“Let us help you handle it,” Colt reassured, eyes narrowing as he watched his twin carefully. He never wanted Ryland to look so dejected again.
“...You’ll kill them…”
Court raised an eyebrow, pressing kisses to his little brother’s head, smiling softly as he felt Ryland relax further into his warmth. “Oh? We’re talking about killing someone now?”
“I’ll make it clean, no one will know,” Colt piped up, making both of his brothers cringe a little before they all burst into laughter. Colt wouldn’t hurt a fly.
“It’s some older kids in my class, they aren’t beating me up or anything, this isn’t some cliche movie trope,” Ryland finally admitted, shame coloring his cheeks red. “They keep telling people I’m weird and not to hang out with me, and then they ask me to help with their homework because we’re ‘bestfriends’. It’s so weird but I can’t say ‘no’ because everyone is always staring at me and if I say ‘no’ they’ll think I’m a jerk!”
Ryland’s eyes flitted to Colt, their fight being a big reason Ryland was trying his best to be likeable at school. Colt’s heart seized in his chest before anger started to take hold. “Who the fuck do they think they are?”
“Yeah, who the fuck? Also, Colt, don’t swear,” Court added.
Colt spluttered at the hypocrisy before sighing, deeming it a lost cause.
“But it’s not bullying, it’s just…I don’t know,” Ryland sighed, running his hands through his hair and tugging at the soft tufts. Colt stopped him, pulling Ryland’s hands away from his hair before he could hurt himself. Colt replaced Ryland’s hands with his own, gently petting his twin.
“It is, just because it isn’t like the things you see in movies or on those stupid pamphlets doesn’t mean it isn’t bullying. They act aggressive for no reason, shame you and make you feel horrible, right?” Court asked, pressing another comforting kiss to Ryland’s cheek.
Ryland thought for a long time, allowing his brothers’ soothing gestures to calm him while he sifted through his memories.
“They do make me feel bad…even when I tell them to stop!”
“See, now let’s go beat them up!” Colt burst, earning him a pair of unamused glares. “No? Court can handle them, he’s like all buff from his training.”
“To play football, not wrestle with a bunch of kids,” Court corrected with an incredulous smirk.
Colt rolled his eyes, focusing back on Ryland. “What’re their names?”
-
Ryland couldn’t help a few giggles escaping him, smothering them with his palm as his bullies ran past him in the hallway into the bathroom. Last night, Court had cooked him his lunch, a really delicious stew along with a couple of sandwiches, all laced with laxatives from their cabinet.
They wouldn’t be stealing his lunches again, probably not bothering him in general either since Colt was hiding in the bathroom stall right next to them recording the whole ordeal and their complaints. If they ever tried anything again, Colt would gladly show everyone in the school this recording.
Ryland felt warm on the inside, basking in the protectiveness of his brothers. It may have been his idea, but he couldn’t have done it without them, and it felt so good for his experiences to be validated.
Just with the teachers ignoring everything those bullies did, other kids beginning to avoid him, a part of him believed that maybe he was weird, maybe he didn’t deserve friends and should change. Fuck that.
Okay, Ryland didn’t like swearing. Frick that.
…better!
He would do anything for his brothers.
-
Ryland couldn’t breathe. A calloused, large hand gripped his neck, holding him against the wall of the living room. He could vaguely hear Colt’s screaming and his father shouting…swearing.
Oh, so that’s why he didn’t like swearing, it reminded him of dad.
They had only just celebrated Court’s 16th birthday, his precious sweet 16. Ryland and Colt had saved up some money over the last few months, cutting down on how much food they bought to save their lunch money. They bought Court a watch from the corner store. Mr. Brown gave them a 15% discount on the second hand watch, wiping his eyes with a handkerchief after the twins told him how they had saved up the money.
Court was overjoyed. Ryland could still feel his warmth against his body, the steady thumping of his strong heart. Ryland gasped for breath, feeling weak, his lungs burning for air. His glasses slipped off his head, where Colt had placed them earlier so Ryland didn’t lose them while listening to a CD.
“Stop it, let him go!” Colt screamed, slamming his fists into dad’s back, grunting as dad kicked him away. Ryland panicked now, kicking and crying, unable to get a sound out. His vision blurred more than usual, spots dancing around him. Colorful like the drawings Colt shyly brought back from school, which were surprisingly good. Colorful like Court’s rugby uniform which sped across the pitch crazy fast. Like mum’s favorite necklace that Court had hesitantly showed him one soft evening.
“Court…help me,” Ryland managed to choke out, a numb, tingly feeling spreading from the tips of his fingers and toes to his arms and legs.
Colt got back up from the floor, screaming as he kicked at their father, pulling desperately at the jacket. The stench of booze was strong, making Colt’s nose twitch and eyes water. That’s what Colt told himself, he wasn’t crying because his twin was about to die, because Ryland wasn’t going to die.
Court felt his heart seize, rushing into their dad’s bedroom and ripping the drawers open. His fingers fumbled over some medicine and documents before curling around unfamiliar cool metal. He rushed out of the bedroom, the sound of Ryland’s choked sobs pounding in his ears.
“Let him go,” Court felt himself saying, fingers tightening around the gun in his hands. His dad turned around slowly, hands still not loosening from around Ryland’s throat. Court almost threw up as their dad smirked at him.
“Do you even know how to use that thing? Put it down.”
“I SAID PUT IT DOWN!”
“Put Ryland down!” Court shouted, hating how weak his voice sounded to his own ears, shaking uncontrollably compared to their dad’s commanding voice that made his stomach flip.
Their dad just chuckled bitterly, shoving Colt to the floor so hard he skid back a few metres. This was it. It was either Ryland or Dad. Court had never had an easier decision to make.
-
Colt hugged Ryland to his chest, trembling and crying as he held his twin tight, pressing his ear to Ryland’s chest to hear the weak flutter of his heartbeat. Colt’s shoes slowly stained red, a dark puddle swallowing up the floor.
Court panted, throwing the gun to the ground and scrubbing his face hard with his hands. “Is Ryland okay?”
…
“Colt!”
“Y-Yeah! He’s fine, he’s breathing, and I-I can hear his heartbeat, but he isn’t waking up.”
Court sighed shakily, opening the blinds slightly and groaning at the sight of the old couple next door with frightened expressions. The husband ran back into the house and Court was fairly certain he was calling the police. Court’s knees finally gave out. He crumpled to the ground, kneeling beneath the window and cheek pressed against the cool surface of the wall.
“Are you okay, Colt?”
Colt wiped his tears roughly, sobbing quietly. “Are you okay, you big, fat idiot?”
“Hey, don’t body shame me,” Court replied, both of them snickering weakly. “Take care of Ryland for me, won’t you? Take care of each other.”
“We’ll take care of each other, you, me and Ry,” Colt stammered, avoiding looking at the body lying between them.
“I can’t, you know I can’t.” Court ripped his eyes away from the wall he was vacantly staring at, meeting Colt’s teary ones. “I’m sorry. I love you both. I love you both so much, so please take care of each other.”
“No, you have to take care of us! You’re our big brother!” Colt argued, pulling Ryland tighter against him like a teddy bear.
“I’m sorry, Colt, I have to leave you.”
“No, no, no, you don’t! We’ll run away, I-I’ll say it was the neighbors. Just don’t leave us!”
Court didn’t reply. And that was the last time they spoke. He died a few years later in a prison riot.
-
Colt lay on his couch, the news playing idly in front of him. That wasn’t the type of memory he wanted to plague him as he watched his only brother left get shot into space.