Title: What Promises We Break
Author: Death's Release
Summary: (Slash M/M) Macario's life is a mess...he's a teenage closet-case, being raised by his homophobic brother. On top of that, his brother's best friend seems to be...hitting on him? But...Kale hates Macario! And what's with the new bully at school? He seems to enjoy touching just a little too much...
Warning: This is SLASH, so if you don't like that, leave. Um…bad language. F-word usage and whatnot. LOTS OF SWEARING!
A/N: I know. I suck at updating. I'm very, very sorry. I will try to improve, and I sincerely hope you forgive me. I am going to be studying abroad this coming semester, so I will definitely be busy, and idk if I will have the time to be updating on a constant basis. But again, I will try, because I love you all. And remember. This story will NEVER be abandoned. No matter how long it takes me to update, I will NOT stop writing it.
Oh and, once again, I need to say this: This Is A Gay Soap Opera Style Story. It Is Supposed To Be Dramatic And A Little Bit Hectic With All The POV Changes. Thank You. 3
Chapter 19
Arsenio's POV:
A social worker would be coming at any moment to talk to my younger brother and figure out why in the hell he's in the hospital. I promised him I wouldn't say anything about Jacob, even though I want to, even though the bastard deserves whatever they have to throw at him. My best friend, who had seen me naked on numerous different occasions, had just told me he's gay, and says he's in love with my currently incapacitated younger brother. And to top it all off, I still had to find some sort of anger management program and get into it ASAP before I bashed someone's face in.
My life sucked.
I sat outside of Macario's room with my head in my hands, trying to cipher through the mud that consisted of my thoughts. Kale was gay. He loved my brother. My brother was straight - right? Well, maybe not. I had no idea. I supposed it was possible. He could be gay. I wouldn't know. We weren't exactly close anymore - not since I made it my duty to turn him into my own personal punching bag. How did everything get so fucked up?
"Arsenio?"
I looked up, half expecting to see the angle of death coming to deliver me home. But no such luck. It was Micah, with his little boyfriend River, holding steaming cups of coffee in each hand. I wondered how much it would hurt if they threw it at me. Probably not enough to knock me out. Probably not enough to put me out of misery.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Are you okay?" Micah sat down beside me and offered me one of the Styrofoam cups.
I shook my head at the offered hand. "I'm fine. Just tired. Waiting for the social worker to turn up."
"Oh right," Micah nodded. River, I noted, was standing nervously to the side, as though afraid to leave Micah alone with me. Not that I could blame him. "What are you going to tell them?"
I sighed. "I want to tell the truth. But Marc won't hear of it. So we're sticking to the 'fell down the stairs' ruse."
"Oh," he nodded and began chewing on his bottom lip. "What about - the letter? The one they sent you about Rio's bruises?"
Again I sighed. More lies. More bullshit. But if we told the truth I'd go to jail and Macario would go into the system, and I couldn't live with that.
"Bullying," I said, "he's going to blame it on the bullies. Then as soon as he's released, we're packing his bags and sending him home with River. I'll check into anger management, and if they decide to make any unexpected house calls, I'll just tell them he's at a friend's house, give him a call, and he'll hightail it home."
Micah nodded and took a long drink from his cup. He seemed to be mulling something over in his head, perhaps wondering the best way to say whatever it was he wanted to say.
"What are you going to do about Jericho?" He asked finally. "I don't mean to be negative - but he's not going to go away on his own, and he definitely seems to love picking on Rio."
I sighed and slumped back in my chair. The truth was, I didn't know what I was going to do about him. In all honesty I shouldn't have to do anything - he was Jacob's problem. But somehow he had gotten my little brother dragged into his mess, and I had no idea how to protect him. The little fucker sounded like a psycho, and I didn't want him anywhere near Macario. But there wasn't a whole lot I could do to protect him from inside some hospital program.
"I don't know," I said. "I really have no idea."
Micah sighed and nodded, turning to exchange a nervous glance with his long-haired shadow.
"We may have an idea about that," he said.
"Oh yeah?" I perked up. "What's that?"
River shifted anxiously from one foot to the other before finally sighing and squatting down so he was on the same level as the other two men.\
"You're going to be in anger management," he said, "so you can't look after him. I'm more than willing to have Macario stay with me - he's a great guy and Micah's best friend. But I live alone in a ground level apartment that literally every guy in the school has been to at one point or another."
He blushed here and sent Micah an apologetic smile. "Everyone knows where I live at school, it's sort of a big fucking joke, ya know? Where's so-and-so? Who knows, go check the queer's house."
He sighed. "I'm just a teenager man. I won't be much good if Jericho tries to do something crazy."
"Okay…?" I was getting nervous. Was he backing out of his offer to take care of my brother? I couldn't leave him with just anyone.
"Maybe," River paused. "Maybe it would be best if Macario moved in with Kale instead of me."
Yep, my life really, really sucked.
Jacob's POV:
I had to confront Jericho. There was no way around it. If I wanted to keep Nick safe it was the only option. I was the one he was pissed at. I was the one he wanted to kill, the one that had hurt Zach, that had inadvertently turned his world to shit with my cruel and careless actions. It was my fault, and I knew I had to find a way to fix it. There was no running away this time; too many people would be hurt if I did. Too many people I cared about. And Nicky. My beautiful Nicky, whose only crime was loving me.
I didn't know where to find him. I had no idea where he lived or where he hung out. I only knew where he went to school, and that didn't do me a lot of good on a Sunday night. I could wait until tomorrow. But then there'd be a bunch of other kids around, and teachers, and parents, and it wouldn't be easy to get him alone. I wonder if that kid, that River, knew anything about him. I fucking hated him for touching Nicky, but he went to school with Macario, and according to the stories I'd heard, he was the resident slut. He might know where I could find him.
I called Nicky. I didn't want to, but I had no way of getting a hold of the kid without his help. He'd get mad. I knew he would. It was a dangerous, stupid idea, but I had no other choice, and I hoped he would see it that way.
"Hello?" He knew it was me and he didn't sound happy.
"Don't hang up," I said. "I need your help."
"Right," he snorted. "What is it?"
"You have River's number, right?"
"Uh, yeah," he sounded puzzled now, his curiosity peaked. "Why do you need that?"
I paused. "I need to get someone's number, and I thought he might have it."
Now it was Nick's turn to pause. "Whose number to you need, Jake?"
"Don't worry about it," I said.
"Jacob," he sighed. "No. This is stupid. You're going to make things worse. Not to mention the fact that you could get hurt. Have you forgotten that this little asshole tried to kill you several years ago? That he molested and beat up Macario? He's dangerous, Jacob!"
"I know that," I snapped. "And this is all my fault. I need ot make it right, Nicky. I hoped you would understand that. I need to fix this."
"There's nothing you can do," he cried out. "He's crazy, Jacob. He's absolutely senile, and he could hurt you!"
"He's an eighteen year old kid," I said. "I can handle it."
"No," Nicky said. "No, you can't. You're too invested in this. You still feel guilty about what happened with Zach. You blame yourself for the way Jericho turned out."
"So what if I do?" I hissed. "None of this would have happened if I had never met Zach, if I had never came into their lives. It's my fault, and I have to take care of it. I have to make this right."
"That's not true," Nicky said, and he sounded exhausted. "Jake - I've been trying to make you understand. For years, I've been trying to make you understand. This was inevitable. Zach was emotionally unstable. He would have broken down like that in any relationship. It was just a matter of time. Yes, you screwed up. But he wasn't exactly the picture of mental health you know, and neither were his psychotic parents. Jacob, seriously, how many moms and dads do you know that would handle the breakdown of one son, by torturing and emasculating the other?"
"That's not the point," I said.
"The hell it isn't!" He screamed. "Jacob, listen to yourself. Those people were absolutely crazy. They are the one that hurt their own child, they're the ones that tormented and abused him until he turned as bat-shit crazy as they were. That is not your fault. Jericho is messed up. And he could, and he probably will, hurt you."
"I don't care," I said. "I deserve it. Now either give me the kid's number or I'll just go back to the hospital and find him myself."
There was silence on the other end for a long moment before Nicky finally sighed, a long, broken sound, that made me ten times worse than I already did, which a few moments ago I didn't think was even possible.
"Fine," he said. "Fine. You want to destroy yourself, go right ahead. But I won't be party to it. You do whatever the hell you want, and for God's sake, leave me the hell alone, and don't call me again."
And he hung up.
Kale's POV:
Fuck. . Did I mention fuck? Was there really any possible way this day could get any worse? I didn't think so. Everything was a bloody mess. Macario was hurt, Arsenio hated me, and I was no closer to coming to terms with my own sexuality, even after disclosing it to Arsenio. How could one person possibly be as fucked up as I was?
I sat in the hospital staring at the wall. I wanted to go see Macario but I knew Arsenio would be there, and I didn't think that would be such a good idea at the moment. He probably wanted to wipe the floor with my face, and I couldn't really blame him. Not for the gay thing, that was utter bullshit, but for the wanting to fuck his baby brother thing. That was probably a little hard to swallow.
Come to think of it, I wonder if maybe I should have left that part out. Couldn't I have just said, 'I'm gay'? Did I really need to add the 'I'm in live with your brother' part? And when exactly had I decided it was love? Hadn't I just said that wanted to fuck him? When and where had love snuck it's way into the picture? Did I really love him? I didn't have a fucking clue. My head hurt. A lot.
"Hey man, you okay?" It was that guy, that little guy the blue-headed freak was after. What was his name? Nick? I thought he left. Hadn't he left?
"Didn't you leave?" I asked.
"Well - yeah," he paused. "No. Not really. I have nowhere to go. I was staying with Macario remember? Then I was going to get a hotel, but I left my wallet in Macario's bedroom."
"Oh right. You want a key? I can lend you mine."
"No that's alright," he sighed. "I just got a call from Jacob. I have to find River before he does."
"Why?" I asked. "Something wrong?"
"Yeah," he sighed. "He's going to go after Jericho. By himself."
I blinked. "Why?"
"You heard the story," he sighed and slumped beside me on the bench. "He thinks it's his fault and he wants to try and fix it."
"Well," I said. "It is his fault."
"It is not!" He snapped. "He's not the one going on a revenge-seeking rampage. He's not the nut job trying to kill everyone."
"Right, right," I held up my hands in defense. "I was joking. Mostly."
He shook his head and sighed. "I just don't know what to do. There's no stopping him when he gets to feeling like a martyr. I've got to find River and tell him not to give him any information."
"River knows where Jericho lives?" I asked, my fists clenching as a plan formed in my mind.
"Oh no," Nicky shook his head, "not you too! You guys are going to get yourselves killed."
"Oh please," I scoffed. "He's a teenager. He can't hurt two fully grown men."
"Right," Nicky said, sarcasm dripping from his every word. "Because he's a totally normal teenage boy who's just going through a little bit of a hormonal imbalance at the moment. Come on, Kale. The guys a psycho!"
"And I won't let him hurt Macario again," I said. "You have to understand. I'm not just going to sit back and wait for him to do something else, hurt someone else, or come anywhere near Macario again. I'm going to keep him safe, and if that means I have to track that little bastard down and risk getting myself killed - well, then that's what I'm going to do. Macario's been hurt enough."
Nicky's shoulder slumped. "How do I argue with that?"
"You can't," I smirked. "And you know Jacob is doing the same thing for you."
"No," Nick shook his head. "He's doing it because he feels guilty. There's a big difference."
"You're wrong," I said. "Trust me, I know how he feels. He's fucking terrified something is going to happen to you. He's not going to just sit back and let you get hurt when he could be doing something to prevent it from happening. He wants to take care of you - he wants to protect you, man."
Nicky didn't say anything, but there was a flush to his cheeks and I knew I had gotten to him. He was thinking about it now, and all of the pieces were falling together in his mind.
"And you want to protect Macario?"
The voice came from the hallway. Nicky and I jumped and looked towards the door. Arsenio was standing there, his eyes narrowed, and his hands clenched at his sides.
Fuck.
Macario's POV:
I was nervous. Really fucking nervous. So nervous I wanted to cry. There was no helping it, and River and Micah were looking just as nervous as me as they waited for the social worker, Mrs. Roderick, to begin her questions.
She had arrived a few minutes ago and asked to speak with me alone. What she actually meant was she wanted to speak to me without Arsenio around, so he left, went back to the waiting room, and I asked if my friends could stay. She didn't look happy about it, but she inclined her head.
"So, Macario," she smiled, a tight, brittle smile that set me on edge. "You want to tell me what happened tonight?"
"Sure," I said. "I was horsing around on the stairs with my friend and I fell. Hit my head on the way down. Kind of embarrassing, but there you have it."
I laughed nervously as she raised her eyebrows and made a note on her clipboard.
"Your friend?" She asked.
"Yes."
"And this friend will be willing to verify that?" She asked.
"Uh - well, I assume to."
"Okay then," she blinked at me. "Which friend?"
"Um, it was…" Who? It was who? I couldn't say Micah, he was too sweet, too innocent, I didn't want to make him lie for me, and I didn't even know if River and I were close enough friends to ask something like that of him.
"Me," River said. "It was me. It's okay, Macario, you can tell her."
"Tell me what?" Mrs. Broderick demanded.
River sighed and looked guiltily at the ground. "It was an accident - I swear it was! - but I did push him. I didn't realize the steps were so close, and when he fell, I completely freaked out and tried to catch him. I missed, obviously, but I was a mess the whole way to the hospital. I think I made him feel bad. But I couldn't believe I had hurt him like this! I felt awful - I feel awful. I'm so sorry, Macario."
"It's okay," I rushed to assure him. "I know it was an accident. I would have pushed you too if the roles were reversed."
He laughed and pretended to look relived. "Thanks, man. I'll make it up to you."
"You better believe you will!"
We both laughed and Mrs. Broderick actually looked mildly amused. At least I thought I saw the corner of her mouth twitch for a split second but it seemed to disappear as fast as it had manifested.
"Very well," she said. "Your teacher has reported seeing several bruises on your person on several different occasions. Would you care to explain these?"
"Well, I guess," I pretended to look humiliated. "It's just these guys at school. They like to pick on me sometimes. They don't usually get really physical, but every once and a while, they'll shove me into a dumpster or something, and that tends to leave marks."
"Mmm-hmm," she didn't look convinced. "And why do they pick on you?"
"Oh I don't know," I pretended to get angry. "Why don't you go ask them? Everything I seem to do makes them mad. If I get an A I'm a geek - if I get an F I'm a moron. If I walk too fast I'm a coward - if I walk too slow I'm a punk. They just like to tease me because I'm small and there's not much I can do about it."
"Right," she said. "What about your brother?"
"My brother?" I faked confusion. "Arsenio? What about him?"
"Yes, Arsenio. Has he ever put his hands on you in anger? Has he ever hurt you in any way?
"What?" I looked appalled. "How could you - no! Of course not! He may be a little hard on the outside, but he'd never do something like that! How could you even think that?"
She paused and sighed. "Well I certainly can't make you tell me the truth."
"That is the truth," I insisted.
"Very well," she put away her clipboard and stood up. "Here is my card. Please call me if anything changes. I am going to have a few words with your brother now. You should be aware that I will be making a report of this abuse at school, and you will most likely be asked to talk to the school psychologist."
I sighed. "Great. Thanks."
She inclined her head sharply and left. I could hear her heels clicking as she marched down the hallway.
River let out a breath and slumped back in his chair.
"That was intense, man," he said.
"Yeah," I sighed. "Thanks for covering for me. Looks like I owe you one."
"Well," he shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe not."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I was talking with your brother earlier," he said. "And we decided it might not be such a good idea for you to stay with me. Jericho knows me man, and it wouldn't be hard for him to find out where I live."
"Oh," I said. "Okay - what does that mean? Who am I staying with?"
"Well that remains to be seen," he said. "I suggested Kale, but he didn't seem too thrilled with that idea."
"Oh?" I said. "I wonder why that is."
"Probably has something to do with the fact that he told Arsenio he's gay. And Arsenio kind of hates him now," River said.
Wait - what?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A/N: I hope you're all still out there! Please, PLEASE REVIEW so I know I haven't lost you! Without my readers this story is nothing, and I need to know I haven't driven you away with my update-deficiency!
Blo0d StaiNed Rose: Thank you so much, that is so sweet! A lot of people don't like the multiple POVs but I think they add a great dramatic flare! don't worry, no matter how long it takes me to update I will NOT abandon this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter?
Bumblebee: Thank you for your feedback, it is appreciated. The POV changes are the essential aspect to this story. It is supposed to be a gay soap opera in written form. I am sorry if you think it is too overdone, but that is what I was going for. I hope they don't bother you TOO much. Kale' background will be coming soon, I promise! I hope you like this update?
Abeo Eternity: hahaha. Wow. That's - original. Lol. But it's not half-finished. Well, I suppose it is right now, but it won't be forever. I will never abandon it. Thank you for the feedback, I hope you like this chapter?
onecrazychicka: Thank you, thank you! I totally agree, these characters are insane, but I absolutely love them! I hope you enjoyed this update?
Fumiki: lol aww I'm glad you like my characters! I don't want them to get hurt either - but sometimes it happens! XD I hope you liked this chapter?
sweetneverinnocent: I'm sorry, so sorry. I know it takes me forever to update. But I will never stop updating if that counts for anything. I hope you liked this update?
Reeciez: lol thank you for your very sweet review! And thank you for remember that teacher because he WILL be back! ;) I hope you liked this chapter?
Lenko1: I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, and I hope you're still reading! Thank you so much for your review! I hope you enjoyed this update?
LouiseRel: Yep, Jericho is a very interesting character…I wanted to dig a little more into him in this chapter, but didn't want to spoil any surprises so I decided to cut that part. Hope you enjoyed this chapter?
Dechtere: Thank you, that means a lot to me! I hope you liked this update?
grrrrrrrrr: Well, I hope this chapter answered your question! And I hope that you liked it?
Faiyaa: You are indeed correct - Jericho was molesting Macario a little. He's a very complex character, so don't give up on him just yet! I hope you enjoyed this chapter?
TheParanoidNerd: Aww, I'm so sorry that you can sympathize with that! I could barely even write it, I couldn't imagine going through it! I'm very glad you like this story, and I hope you enjoyed this update?
Ty Taco: haha, thanks, believe it or not, that was one of my favorite parts too! It was almost fun to write, in a twisted sort of way! I hope you liked this chapter?
Chickie: Thank you for our VERY sweet review! It means so much to me, and I sincerely hope that you liked this update?
kookoos: lol, indeed they do! What did you think of this one?
DinosaursGoROOARR: Aww you are so, SO sweet! Thank you! That means so much to me! I hope this chapter did not disappoint?
JtheChosen1: Thank you, thank you, I am glad you think so! I hope you enjoyed this chapter?
Bluntlyhonest: aww, thank you! I hope you enjoyed this update as well?
Look Im Sparkling: Thank you! A lot of people have a hard time with the soap opera style, but I think it's great to be a little over-dramatic sometimes! I hope you liked this chapter?
runaway sheet: I am glad you're backing Nicky- he's had it hard, but he's finally growing a bit of a backbone, and I'm proud of him! I am terribly sorry for the lack of updates, but I hope you enjoyed this one?