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Des knows his brother doesn't like it when he interrupts him on movie night with his friends. But Des had a nightmare and Patton's always up for snuggles after nightmares. He'd go to Daddy or Papa, but they're out in California or someplace else far away.
Des leaves his room, holding Sir Slithers to his chest and wrapping his blanket around his shoulders like a cape. He nuzzles Sir Slithers's snoot with his nose then looks down the stairs to where Patton and his friends are. Des has never been introduced to them. He knows one of them is Logan, one of them is Virgil, and one of them is Roman. But he doesn't know who's who.
They're watching TV. Movies. Is that... Moana? Disney? Mother and Father would never let Patton watch Disney. He's too grown up for Disney unless Des is watching it with him. Then again, they would never let Des watch Disney either. Well, they always got to watch Winnie the Pooh. He likes that movie.
Daddy and Papa let him watch all the Disney he wants. Within reason. He loves Daddy and Papa. Daddy loves watching cartoons with him. Papa just whines about it. Sometimes it scares Des, but Daddy once explained that Papa loves cartoons too, he just likes being "contrary." Des doesn't know what that means except that it describes Papa.
Des leans against the banister, watching the movie in between the bars. He doesn't notice that Sir Slithers is slipping out of his grip until he's falling through the air. Des gasps and holds his hands over his mouth. He peaks over the banister to see Sir Slithers behind the couch. He might be able to go down the stairs and grab him. Des looks at the TV. Maui's about to tell Moana that they made it to Te Fiti and then Te Kā will appear. There should be enough time and noise for him to sneak down, grab Sir Slithers, and go back upstairs. He's feeling better now and doesn't need to snuggle with Patton anymore. (Yes he does, but he doesn't want to bother Patton and his friends. His parents raised a really good liar. Just like them.)
Des is about to do it when one of the teens stands up. Des freezes as he walks around the couch. Then he steps on Sir Slithers. "No," Des says extremely quietly. "Sir Slithers."
The teen looks down at his feet and picks Sir Slithers up. "Hey Padre, what's this?"
Patton looks over at him. "Oh! That's Sir Slithers. That's weird. Des would never leave him unattended."
"Then I shall go bring it to him!" Des freezes then runs to his room. He can't be found. He can't be found! No no no no no! He buries himself in his black blanket, shaking. He tries not to panic.
"Wait, Roman-"
Footsteps come thumping up the stairs and Des panics. He holds back tears, shaking.
The door bangs open. "Des, I have brought you Sir Slithers!"
Loud noises mean pain. Loud noises mean Father smells sour and is angry. Loud noises mean Mother's eyes are red and she smells like smoke.
Six years of abuse catches up with him and Des bursts into tears, covering his mouth to muffle the sound. He can't be loud. He'll get hurt.
"Roman, don't-"
Something touches Des's shoulder and he lets out a muffled scream. The blanket is pulled off him and Des panics. He leaps away from the silhouette and runs. He hits someone and he screams.
"Hey, Des, shhhh. It's okay. It's me. It's Patton. Calm down. You're safe here. It's okay." Des is pulled into a hug.
Patton. Patton is safe. Des isn't scared anymore. Although he wants Sir Slithers. But Mother and Father don't like Sir Slithers. "...I... I don't want Sir Slithers. Not at all."
One arm releases Des. "But if you did, why would you want him?"
"...Not because I had a nightmare. I didn't. Honest."
Sir Slithers is placed between Patton's chest and Des's face. Des wraps his arms around him, fiddling with the loose eye. "If you did, what would it have been about?"
"...Father was angry and big and loud."
"Ah. I see. Do you want to come watch movies with us?"
Des blinks and looks up at his older brother. "Really...?"
"Yep. Come on." Patton stands up, carrying him. He walks down the stairs and sits on the couch. "Have you ever met my friends?" Des shakes his head. "Do you want to?" Des pauses then nods. "Alright. Look up."
Des looks up at his brother's friends. Patton gestures at the one in a purple and black jacket. "That's Virgil."
Virgil waves, smiling slightly. Des waves back, clutching Sir Slithers to his chest. "It's nice to meet you," he says. Des smiles slightly.
Patton gestures at the one wearing a tie. "That's Logan."
"Salutations."
"Why are you wearing a tie?" Des asks.
"I like being serious," Logan answers.
"You were singing."
"How long were you watching?" Patton asks with a smile on his face.
"A while..."
"I see." Patton gestures at the one wearing a shirt with a crown on it. "That's Roman."
"Greetings!" Des flinches at the loud noise. "Sorry I scared you. I'm naturally really loud." Des nods.
"Alright, let's start the movie!" Patton presses play on the remote and cards his fingers through Des's long hair. The younger falls asleep while Moana's grandmother is singing.
The three friends glance at Patton and Des. Their friend is wrapped protectively around his brother, probably unconsciously. He had to protect him from six years of abuse as best he could while being abused himself. Not an easy task. The movie ends and Patton looks over at them, unconsciously holding Des closer to him. "What? Why're you looking at us like that?"
"Patton?" Virgil asks."Why did Des react so badly when Roman pulled the blanket off him?"
"That's his safe place," Patton says. "He would pretend to be asleep so they'd leave him alone. It didn't always work, but it usually did."
"Ah." Virgil falls silent.
Roman says, "I have a question of my own!"
Patton flinches at the sound. "Inside voice, please."
"Sorry. Why did he lie?"
"Well... They were either too drunk or too high to notice or care, so they just believed whatever he said. So he lied when he could get in trouble if he told the truth. It became habit."
"Doesn't he know-?"
"Yes, he knows it's wrong. But he doesn't know what else to do." Patton looks down at his sleeping brother, carding his fingers through his hair.
The three know that Patton was abused before he was adopted through foster care a few months ago by Remy and Emile. But it's different to see the effects up close. Gone is the upbeat and pun-filled person they know. In his place sits someone hardened by abuse, protecting his only care in the world as if one or both of their lives depend on it. And Des's life likely did. The scars on the side of his face are proof of that.
"He's smaller than I thought he'd be. He's very small for his age," Logan says.
"Seven years of abuse does that."
"Seven?" Roman repeats. "But Des is seven. You guys were adopted a few months ago. When he was six."
Patton is silent. Virgil figures it out first. "Oh. Was he a, you know, a drug baby?"
"Des was a drug baby," Patton whispers. "He was so small when he was born. I was so scared that he was going to die. I was eleven. I couldn't care for a baby."
"Was it hard?" Virgil asks, looking at Des's face.
"Yeah."
"Do you regret it?" Immediately Virgil knows that's the wrong question.
Patton gasps, holding Des close. "I would never regret caring for Des! He's the only one I had! I was the only one he had! It was the two of us versus the world. Me and my baby brother."
"That's not what I meant," Virgil says quietly. "I meant did you ever regret it, as in the scars. You've told us that story."
"I didn't know," Patton says, looking down at his brother's face. "It was an accident. That's what they told me. I don't know if I believed them then, but I don't believe them now. How do you accidentally drop a cracked glass bowl full of boiling water on a five year old? You don't. I was in the house. Just in the other room. I could have helped him. But he..." Patton trails off, looking down at the child in his arms. "He didn't cry for help. When we went to the doctor they said it's lucky that he can even see. Did I tell you that?"
"No," Roman says, subdued. He's one who can barely handle more serious topics, but this is one he can't comprehend in the slightest. His parents are wonderful and it's hard to think about parents torturing their children. Who would do that? Not for the first time, Roman debates the pros and cons of going to jail for killing Patton's birth parents.
"Roman, I know what you're thinking. They're already in jail."
"They'd deserve it."
"I know."
"Mmm..." Des moves in Patton's arms, waking up again. He yawns. "Wanna watch a movie..."
"You want to watch a movie?" Patton says.
"Mm-hmm."
"What do you want to watch? We can watch more Disney."
"Wanna watch the dragon."
"Mulan?" Roman says. "Yes, Mulan is a wonderful movie! Let's get down to business! To defeat! The Huns!"
Patton and Des flinch at the loud noise. "No, he means How to Train Your Dragon," Patton explains. "He likes Toothless."
"I want a dragon," Des says. "They're cool."
"They are cool, aren't they?" Patton agrees with a smile. "Logan, can you switch out the movies? Roman, can you get some more snacks?"
"Of course."
"Sure thing, Padre!"
Patton shifts. "Des, I'm going to go get something from our room. Can I leave you here with Virgil?" Des pauses, looking over at him. Virgil smiles slightly. "He won't hurt you. He understands. His dad used to be like Father once."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Virgil says. "He's better now, but he has his days."
"Okay." Des climbs down from Patton and goes over to Virgil, getting on his lap. Patton stands up and goes upstairs.
"I like your snake," Virgil says.
"His name is Sir Slithers."
"Oh. Well, hello, Sir Slithers." Virgil bows slightly to him.
Des wiggles Sir Slithers's head. "Hello, Sssir Virgil."
"Just Virgil's okay," Virgil says.
"Jussst Virgil." Des smiles nervously.
Virgil grins. "I knew you were related to Patton. Bad puns prove it."
Des continues moving Sir Slithers's head. "Patton'sss punsss are funny. I think they are."
"Never said that they weren't," Virgil tells him.
"Mother and Father didn't think they were funny."
"Oh." Virgil guesses that's why Patton tells his puns with a sneaky and nervous smile on his face. They were a secret that made Des smile in the horrid place they called home. "I think Patton is a funny guy."
"He is a funny guy!"
"He's a funny gay," Roman says from the kitchen.
"Gay?" Des repeats.
"Your parents are gay," Virgil explains. "Two guys or two girls who are together are gay. Usually."
"Usually?"
"Yep."
"Pops is ace and Dad's bi," Patton says, reclaiming his spot next to Virgil. "They have their flags on the wall in their room." He gives Des his yellow sippy cup of apple juice and takes a drink out of his blue sippy cup of Sprite.
"Can't believe you drink out of a sippy cup," Virgil says. "Weirdo."
"Force of habit. The sippy cups were the only cups we were allowed to use and were the only ones ever actually clean."
"You can't spill when you're using a sippy cup," Des says wisely. He takes a drink of apple juice then offers it to Virgil. "Do you want some?"
"Uh, no, thank you."
Patton smiles and signs to Virgil, 'He offers to share with people he trusts.'
'He trusts me?'
Patton rolls his eyes and gestures at Des. 'Obviously.'
Logan says, "Patton, Emile has far too many movies. Can you help me?"
Patton stands up. "Sure!"
"I come bearing gifts of sweets!" Roman declares. Quietly. He's trying. He sets bags and bowls on the coffee table, grinning. "Merry Christmas, it's your birthday."
"No it's not," Des says. "My birthday's near Valentine's Day."
"Eleven days before," Patton says. "Mark it on your calendars, boys. Get my brother a birthday gift."
"Or what?" Virgil asks with a smirk.
"Or I won't be your friend," Patton and Des say in unison.
"Wow, you can tell they're brothers," Virgil says.
"You're our friend, Des?" Roman says, sitting on his side of the couch.
"You're Patton's friends. That means you're my friends too."
"That's adorable," Roman says.
"This is so pure," Patton whispers, holding the How to Train Your Dragon case. "Can we start?"
"Yeah!" Des says.
"I love your enthusiasm, Des!" Patton puts the movie in and sits next to Virgil and Des, pressing play on the remote. Logan sits between Virgil and Roman.
"Your jacket reminds me of Toothless," Des tells Virgil.
"And why is that?"
"It's black. Toothless is black."
"What about the purple?"
Des thinks about it. "Purple is a night time color. Like really dark blue and a certain shade of yellow."
"Interesting choice of words."
"Papa likes art," Des says in a matter of fact tone.
"Pops does like art, doesn't he?"
"Yeah." They watch the movie, Des nodding off a few times until Hiccup runs into Toothless. Des pulls on Virgil's hood, still snuggled in his lap instead of Patton's. "I'm like Toothless."
"Really? How?"
"I got hurt, but now I look cool and am cool. I survived something really bad and now I'm strong." Des smiles.
Virgil looks down at him, examining his scarred face. That's a positive spin on it. "That you are," he whispers. "That you are."
Through the course of the movie, Des offers his sippy cup to Logan and Roman, who both politely turn him down. Des just shrugs both times and takes a sip of his own. He likes Patton's friends.
Everyone except Patton has dozed off by the end of the movie. Patton chuckles and puts everything away, turning on soft music so the others won't wake up to the noise.
He's glad Des learned to trust three new people today, even if it was at the cost of a nightmare. Now he trusts six people, which is an achievement. It took two months for him to trust Emile and Remy.
Patton takes Logan's glasses off his face and places them on the table. He unties his tie as well and places it next to his glasses. Then he sits next to Virgil and Des, leaning into his jacket clad friend. Yes, his parents would be proud of Des taking and making this step.
Speaking of his parents, Patton wants to ask them how to ask three boys on the same date. He thinks they'd approve of his choice.
And, even better, so would Des.