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Travis had been trying to ignore the sniffling coming from the bathroom for the past few minutes. That's a hard thing to do, though, when you know exactly who it's coming from.
He heard Javi come home from school a bit later than usual, but didn't think much of it. The door being slammed is what caught the attention of their dad, who tore into him for it. Travis almost wanted to step in, but ended up spilling his water, which got his dads attention anyways.
Honestly, he doesn't know what Javi's problem is. Travis fucked up and became the main target of their dads rant about “not having any damn respect” anyways, Javi barely got the brunt of it.
Javi always got out of things someway or another. Travis doesn't understand how he does it (He wouldn't change it, though. The thought of his little brother being treated like he has makes him sick to his stomach.)
After sitting in their room for a few minutes longer, Travis figured he should probably check up on the kid.
Travis had always known Javi was a bit… different.
It had always been apparent since Javi could talk, or, when he should've been talking. Travis remembers the doctors appointments like they were yesterday, all the afterschool meetings with Javi’s teachers.
“What are you suggesting?” Bill snapped at the nice lady. At least, Travis thought she was nice. He felt his mother squeeze his hand tighter, his eyebrows furrowing in worry.
“Im not trying to ‘suggest’ anything, Mr. Martinez.” The woman explained "I'm just saying what I'm seeing the signs of.”
Travis can see his mother about to tap into the conversation, but she's interrupted before she can get a word out.
“Are you trying to say my son’s a fucking retard?!” His father barked.
Travis began to tune out the rest of the conversation. All he could think about was Javi. Sweet little Javi, who refuses to make eye contact, even when their mother tells him how impolite it is.
At that moment, Travis wanted to run back home on foot and snatch Javi up from whatever babysitter they hired. He wanted to hold him and not let the rest of the world, or even his own father, hurt his brother.
Travis quietly moved towards the bathroom door, light spilling out from underneath. He could hear pained cries from inside, barely audible if you weren't really listening.
“...Javi?”
He waited for a few seconds after calling out, but got no response. He reached for the door handle, and attempted to open the door quietly as to not alert their parents.
Travis almost made a quip when he walked in, before he saw the state his brother was in. When he did see, however, he could almost feel his heart dropping to his stomach.
Javi was sitting on the bathroom floor, eyes wide and filled with tears. The room itself looked like it had seen better days, shampoo bottles knocked off shelves and various items that had previously been on the counter, now sprawled across the floor.
Travis could hear his brother's erratic breathing getting quicker, as he began to tug at his hair. It was only then that he noticed some strands of dark hair on the floor around Javi.
Before he could register it, he was moving across the room. Despite how small it was, it felt like he was miles away from the boy.
“Javi—You’re gonna hurt yourself!” He warned, grabbing his brother's wrists with one hand while trying to untangle his fingers from his hair with the other. In the process, he noticed a set of scratch marks, both on Javi's arms and neck, probably given by himself.
Javi jerked away, making a strangled sound that sounded like a mix of pain and anger. The rest of him though, just looked mortified. Travis knew this was the part of Javi that their dad liked to push away. The part of him that was “wrong”.
Travis scooted back a bit, almost level with his brother after lowering himself to the floor.
Travis mentally ran through all the things he knew would sometimes set something like this off. He went to turn off the lights and the bathroom fan both, trying to make the room feel right for Javi.
Now, all Travis needs to do is wait.
After ten or so more minutes, Travis heard a strained voice from across the, now dark, room.
“...Trav?”
“Yeah?” Travis responded, not wanting to make a big deal and freak his brother out again.
Whenever Javi was like this, anything could set him off. He could already feel the tiredness radiating from his brother, and he wasn’t gonna let him get worse.
“Can we go back to our room?”
“Sure.”
Travis grabbed his brother's hand and lifted him up, making sure he left the bathroom before he did, wanting to keep him in sight as much as possible. The two walked back to their shared room, and Travis watched Javi walk towards his bed to grab the stuffed fox he kept near his pillow.
Travis remembers the day their dad tried to throw the thing away. He also remembers snatching it right out of his hands after Javi broke into sobs when he noticed it was gone.
Javi suddenly turned towards Travis, his eyes drifting from his brother to the spot next to him on his bed. Travis, picking up what Javi was trying to communicate, sighed without any real malice, and patted the spot next to him.
“C’mere Javs.”
That was all it took for Javi to rush across the room and sit himself next to Travis, slowly edging closer until Travis took the initiative to pull him closer.
Travis knew Javi didn't usually like touch, unless it was from him or their mom. Their mom wasn't really there that much these days, though.
Mentally, at least.
Travis always convinced himself that he was bothered by his brother's craving for his attention. In reality, he never hated it. Sure, he wanted his alone time like every other teenage boy, but if he wasn't there when Javi needed somebody, who would be?
Javi had always been the most sensitive in their family. Some nights, Travis lays awake thinking about the life Javi could have if he had a family that wasn’t so fucked up.
A family that felt like a family, not just people burdened by their blood.
Travis could feel Javi relax, burying his face in Travis’ hoodie.
“I didn't mean to do anything wrong.” Javi suddenly spoke up, catching Travis off-guard.
“What do you mean?”
“Earlier, with the door.” Javi began to shrink into himself “I didn't think I shut it that hard until I heard it slam. Dad wouldn't listen, though.”
Hearing that made Travis clench his fists a bit, before moving to rub his thumb on his brother's wrist in an attempt at comfort.
“Javi, in all honesty, dad doesn't know shit. Don't let him be the thing to set you off, or whatever. You just feel things differently, that isn't wrong.”
Travis went to run his hands through Javi's hair, trying to fix it after Javi had pulled at it earlier.
The Martinez house was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday morning.
Mrs. Martinez walked towards her son's rooms, planning on getting them up for their chores. Do these boys know how to set an alarm clock?
When she walks in and sees the two of them piled up together, though, she stands in shock for a moment, before quietly stepping out and shutting the door.
They can sleep in a bit today, what harm could it do?