Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon
Author's note: Hey! This is a fanfiction that involves the following: Child Neglect, Bullying, Self-Harm. I hope you enjoy! Also: Matt is 14 TK is 12 (Like 02)
Summary: After his parent's divorce, Matt stayed locked behind a door of a closet with barely any food or water. 7 years later his mom wins custody. Matt starts to think TK doesn't want to share his 'perfect life' but behind his locked door, TK has his fair share of issues, a couple of bullies and arm of self-inflicted cuts. *Child Neglect Bullying Self-Harm*
7 years ago
Matt squinted his eyes to block out the yelling of his parents, he would have covered his ears but his hands were preoccupied comforting his 5-year-old little brother. They sat on the bed of their bedroom, with the door closed they could still hear the yells.
"It's ok don't cry Teeks" Matt said rubbing his back trying to remain strong for him.
"YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DICTATE IF I GO TO A BAR OR NOT!" Matt heard his father yell
"YES I DO!" He heard his mom yell back "YOU HAVE TWO SONS DEPENDING ON YOU! SO CLEAN UP YOUR ACT! SO YES I D-" Matt held his breath when she was cut off and he knew his dad had raised his hand to her. The only sound for the next couple seconds was TK's crying. "GET THE HELL OUT!" Matt heard his mom yell and TK cried louder, he knew he could understand them.
"FINE I DON'T WANNA BE HERE WITH YOU ANYWAY!" he yelled and they heard the door slam, TK cried louder.
"Hey hey, don't cry it's ok" Matt reassured him, "Don't cry there's no reason to, it's like when we argue bud"
"But- But- We make up" TK said through tears, Matt sighed, TK may be a little kid but he still knew these things.
"They will, just give them some time" Matt said, he wanted to cry but for his brother he didn't. Matt continued to rub his back, Matt pulled to his chest instead of off to the side and continued to rub his back in a hug "It's ok" TK's crying slowed a little but it was still there "Shhh don't cry" The two blonds stayed like that until they heard the door open, TK stopped crying and looked up to the door as Matt's hand stopped as their mom walked in and sat down beside them and pushed some hair of her face and he could see a red mark on her cheek.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that" she said sadly and Matt heard TK's crying start again softly.
"It can't be helped" Matt said sadly and started to rub TK's back again, there was a small pause as Nancy looked at her two sons and hugged them, TK's crying stopped completely
"Don't worry, it'll all be over soon" she said calmly with a little sadness
"Your not gonna get a divorce are you?" Matt asked looking her in the eye, he saw that TK's tear-filled eyes were traced with confusion, the younger blond didn't know what divorce meant.
"To keep you safe" Nancey started "I have to"
*In the present 8:45 PM*
Matt's mom's voice echoed in his mind as he looked up from his tattered dark blue jeans, as he looked up he was pale and his eyes were dark around them. To keep us safe my ass Matt thought. The dark room called his bedroom it was really a closet though. His school backpack sat in the corner, he had put there as a pillow. his messy hair had traces of dirt in it and his cheek had a small cut on it.
Matt put his head against the wall of the small room A couple more hours until he comes home Matt thought If he comes home today… Matt thought to himself. After the divorce his father continued his alcoholic attitude, and left Matt alone in a small closet called his "room." Matt was thin and always dehydrated from lack of food and water.
When he heard the front door to the apartment open his heart leaped as he heard his father's voice sigh he prayed he remembered he had locked Matt in here, or he would forget like he always did at least once a week, usually Monday because he spent the weekend at the bar. With Matt's luck, it was Monday. His heart sunk as he heard his dad go into his room, and a little while later left the apartment, which was unusual, Matt sighed, he felt dizzy and he started to panic, he hadn't drink anything since Friday afternoon, he probably couldn't last much longer.
It wasn't usually an issue for Matt, but that Friday his dad had been really mad at Matt after he accidentally knocked some beer cans over when getting some water, but when the glass shattered his father snapped. He slapped Matt to the ground and kicked him in the ribs and in reflex Matt moved his hands there so they ended up getting a couple blows and their fair share of bruises. After he had dragged him over to the closet threw him in causing him to his back and head on the wall hard and locked it Matt's been there since.
When he heard the doorbell ring he was confused but just sat there where he had been. The teenager knew never to open the door, and plus he was trapped in a closet. He sighed as it rung again. That's when something strange happened, he heard banging on the door until it opened. Matt froze in terror and held his breath, had his dad forgot his keys so he came back, and was gonna blame Matt for "hiding" and not letting him back in?
"Matthew Ishida?" He heard an unfamiliar male voice call, he froze as he heard them walking around the house looking through rooms. Were they looking for him? They continued to call out as they made their way to the closet and rattled that handle, Matt retreated to the corner of the small room. "I heard movement" he heard a male voice say and Matt froze and held his breath.
"Try and call," a woman's voice said
"Matthew?" Matt started to shake, why were they looking for him? Were they taking him to his dad or something? He bit his lip and it bleeds. The door handle rattled as he could tell what they were doing, they were picking the lock. Go away go away you can't mean anything good Matt thought, he remembered the last time his father's friend came over when his dad wasn't there and had practically treated him worse than a slave for being such a pain. His dad had to go somewhere on a business trip and left him with him for the weekend. Matt still had bruises and he was left with many scars. Matt gasped and held his breath as the door opened and he saw 2 men and 1 woman enter, well one person did the closet wasn't big enough for them all.
"Matthew?" He said and Matt froze
"W-Who are you?" He asked his voice and body shaking
"I'm Daniel Decaptia (De-Cap-Tia) I'm part of child's services," He said calmly
"What do you want from me?" he asked still scared and tensed up hugging his legs tighter to his chest
"I'm here to take you to your mother," he said and reached his hand out to help Matt up but he turned his head away in reflex and his shaking only got worse. "Matthew I'm not here to hurt you," he said, he could tell why he had flinched it was clear by some of the fresh bruises on his arms uncovered by his black tee-shirt. Matt shook head rapidly and squinted
"No- no- no- I can't go he'll be mad," he said in complete terror.
"Maybe, but he won't be able to hurt you, he'll be behind bars, your out of harm Matthew," he said calmly his head still outstretched. Matt shut his eyes not letting tears escape, 7 years of hell and it's over just like that? There was no way, Matt knew it. "Everything's ok now, your mom's waiting for you outside the apartment and your brother is at her house waiting, come with me," Daniel said patiently, he had seen this many times, he knew how to handle kids when they got like this.
The teenager looked at him with unbelief in his eyes, there was no way it was over. "Its over, I promise," he said calmly and bent down to be on Matt's level. He handed Matt a bag, it was small but he got the sense that it didn't matter because Matt clearly didn't have much. "Anything you need or want to bring put in here," he said calmly and Matt nodded as he stood up "Come out when you're ready," he said and walked out and talked to the other workers.
Matt sighed and let everything sink in. He was free, he grabbed a couple outfits (the only 2 he had besides his school uniform and the one he had on) and stood up and felt a little dizzy from dehydration. Matt walked out, head down. Daniel handed a small water bottle to Matt. "Take it you need it," he said calmly and Matt was reluctant to take it but eventually did. After they took Matt out of the apartment, to never see it again, and outside the building to where his mother was standing. Daniel nodded to him and he walked over to her shyly. There was a small pause, it was awkward, they hadn't seen each other since the divorce.
"Matt… I-I'm really sorry I couldn't get to you sooner" she said sadly, the same tone of voice she had used that night. Matt looked up, he didn't blame her, he just wanted to know why she had let him go with his dad if the whole reason for the divorce was for TK and his safety.
"It's ok…" he said weakly and his mom pulled him into a hug
"I'm so glad your not mad" she said "It's over now, we can be a family together, just please" she said getting to something "try and make up for lost time with your brother, he needs you and I sure you need him" his mother said, which left Matt confused, why would TK need him? As far as Matt knew he had it pretty darn good, but he was so wrong…
*9:00*
As they drove to his mom's apartment Matt decided to pop the question.
"Mom?" he asked calmly and she looked over at him from the road
"Matt?" she asked
"Can I ask you something?" he said fearfully afraid of the answer
"Of course" his mom nodded and said softly.
"Um-" Matt said looking down at his hands and he tensed up, "How come you left me with dad?" he asked not understanding court. He heard his mom sigh as she turned a corner.
"If it was up to me, you would have been with me the whole time" she said and Matt looked at her "I take it you don't understand court" Matt shook his head "which is fine your young" she said calmly "I tried to prove that your dad was an alcoholic, but I couldn't so they decided that TK would go with me and you would go with your father" Matt looked at her confused "What the court says goes, ever since I tried to prove it and it took 7 years but, I did… I don't know how it took so long but I hate that I couldn't get you back in an instant. I'm sorry" Matt sighed
"I don't blame you, I was just confused on how it happened that's all," Matt said calmly and looked up at her and gave her a weak smile "I don't blame you," he said half cheery and his mom sighed
"That's a relief" and she pulled into the parking lot of the apartment and parked "this is it" Nancy said calmly and Matt nodded and grabbed the small plastic bag as they walked up and reached their room Nancy opened the door and held it for Matt, she glanced over into the kitchen to see if TK was there, and relief flooded over her to see him out there doing his homework which confused Matt but he didn't ask.
"TK?" she called softly and he turned his head, something about him shocked Matt, he wasn't like when he was a kid, his eyes did have a trace of sadness but when he saw them they got a little happier, it mad Matt a little mad, what did TK have to be upset about? He had long black sweatpants on and a long sleeve dark green sweater.
"Hi," he said shyly, which hadn't shocked Matt at all TK had always been shy.
"I'll give you two a minute," his mom said and left the room, a small awkward pause was followed by TK's voice
"It's good to see you," he said softly, his hand on the back of the wooden chair and he adjusted his arm his sleeve rode up and he pushed it back down. Matt nodded
"You too," he said calmly wondering if TK even remembered him. He saw TK look at something on the table then look back at Matt and smiled, Matt was a little offended because he could tell it was forced, was he not that happy to see him? The reason wasn't anything to do with Matt though.
"I missed you," he said with that dumb forced smile but Matt just played along
"You too" a small pause followed and then their mom came back in.
"TK can you show Matt to his room?" their mom asked and TK nodded and got up from the chair, that's when Matt noticed he was only a little taller than him, though he was only 2 years older than him, and Matt did have a lack of food and water so he probably won't grow to an average hight. TK tilted his head down the hall
"This way," he said softly. Matt was hesitant considering he had lived half of his life in a closet, but his mom put her hand on his shoulder and nodded at him, then he followed TK in silence. TK turned to a door and opened it "Here" he said as he held the door open for Matt
"Thanks, T" Matt said as he walked in and TK nodded.
"I'll leave you be," TK said calmly and walked out, Matt understood and sighed and looked around. The floor was a cream carpet and the walls were a creamish orange, there were white curtains on the window. There were a bed, dresser, and small desk. Ok… any second now I'll wake up in the closet, this can't be real right? Matt stood there confused about everything, was it him or TK that changed? Matt shook his head, it had to be him, TK had everything going for him, everything that Matt didn't have. Matt's eyes hardened, even if it was his imagination why did TK look like he was the victim? If he was, Matt wouldn't put up with it, he wasn't gonna put up for it.
*Later that day 9:15 pm*
TK left Matt in his new room and he walked the hall with his head down, he knew Matt was judging him but he had some things on his mind. His phone beeped and he shook his head at the message not shocked at all. He sighed put his phone back in his pocket and continued down the hall with his head down.
"So" he heard his mom say and TK looked up "While I was gone," she said Please don't say it TK thought to himself knowing what she was gonna say "Did you c-" TK cut her off
"No I didn't," TK said "I was out here the whole time," TK said truthfully knowing what she was getting at, and his mom sighed
"Keep it that way," TK's exasperated mother said
"Um- I'll try?" TK replied knowing it wouldn't happen
"TK!" she said annoyed that he even thought that he would continue this, TK looked down "You need to stop this ok? It's not gonna do anything for you, you say it helps but in the future what's it gonna do for you?" Nancy said upset
"I know…" he said in a timid voice.
"Then why do you keep doing it TK?" she asked
"I told you this already," TK said meeting her eyes
"And I don't agree" Nancy argued
"Sorry.." the blond said grimly his mom sighed now knowing where this was going, knowing TK needed professional help, but he wouldn't have it. His mom sighed
"Just try," she said and TK stayed silent "please?" and there was still a silence.
*9:20 PM*
TK stared at his phone as he sat on his bed, more and more messages appeared. Someone tell me how these jerks got my number? TK said to himself and shut his eyes tightly. When he opened them to another beep he couldn't help but keep rereading all of the previous messages trying to debate if they were true:
"C'mon do you really think the world is a good place for you here? It would be so much better without you"
"Your mom probably divorced your dad so she could get rid of you but it failed"
"Please die in a hole, everything would be so much better"
"I hate school because I have to see your ugly face"
"Every time you wake up in the morning everyone gets mad that you didn't die in your sleep"
The new one was what set him over the edge…
"Poor Matt, he gets out of his father's abuse and now he has to deal with you. What was worse?"
TK bit his lip and got the courage to type back
"Whatever, I don't care what you have to say got it? Just stop trying"
TK sighed as it beeped he instantly regretted typing.
"Of course you don't care, it's all about you, isn't it? Selfish"
TK bit his lip so hard it bled
"Your opinion"
TK sighed and tried to resist the urge to walk to the other side of his room and grab his ticket to relief.
"Yeah my opinion is facts as well, I don't feel like wasting my night talking to a worthless piece of shit like you, I'll do that at school"
The text sent shivers down TK's spine and he closed his phone and sighed, he let temptation take him over as he set his phone down and stood up. He walked over to his backpack and opened the small pocket in the front and pulled out a blue pencil sharpener. He grabbed a hair clip he had found in the bathroom, probably his moms or one of her friends. TK sighed as he made sure his mom wasn't going to try walking in, the door was locked but if he didn't answer it would be bad. He knew she wasn't by the sound of her cooking, and Matt would probably stay in his room, so TK was in the clear.
TK started to use the hair clip to unscrew the metal part that sharpens the pencils when the screw came off he dropped it into the blue holder where the pencil shavings would be and put the cap on so he didn't lose it. TK took a deep breath as he pulled up his left sleeve to reveal scars and cuts that were fading and cuts still fresh from yesterday and every day before that for about a year and a half.
TK held his breath as he put the metal on his wrist like always he started shaking, he was always scared that he would cut too deep and cut a vein. It doesn't matter if you do, its fate because you deserve it TK thought to himself and cut. As the crimson red liquid poured down his arm TK stared at it, it was deep sure, but the pain was the thing TK was mainly looking for.
They were right, TK did nothing but cause pain for everyone else, so he should be feeling this. TK used his other hand and grabbed the pencil sharpener, the used both hands to screw it back on, like a hiding place so his mom didn't take this away from him, once she found out what he was doing she desperately tried to keep all things away from him, but he always found a way. It hurt him to move his hand but he didn't care.
He zipped the pocket back up and sat his hand on his leg as blood continued to go down his arm. TK wasn't satisfied, as far as he could tell this was nothing compared to the pain he caused for others, TK felt anger flood over him. He hit his forearm against the dresser and he bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain as more blood came out. He repeated that a second time and the next thing he knew he passed out from the pain.
*9:30 PM*
Nancy walked down to Matt's room and knocked, Matt looked over as she walked in.
"Come and eat," she said calmly and Matt once again was reluctant, when you live on meals once a week it's a weird transition. His mom sensed that and sat next to him. "I know it's different," she said kindly "But what's here is yours, I don't want you to ever feel like your not entitled to be treated fairly" Matt looked at her battling tears and he looked down at the floor.
"But I didn't do anything to earn it," Matt said completely broken from the past 7 years. looked at her son with pained eyes, the fact that he thought he had to earn food or respect, or anything that most kids get normally pained her to the core. She pulled Matt into a warm embrace.
"Listen to me," she said calmly "You already earned it," she said trying to make it feel better.
"But-"
"You just have to be the good kid you always have been, alright?" she said and Matt couldn't hold back his tears "Understand?" Nancy asked calmly and the blonde nodded
"Ok.." he said tearfully
"I love you, Matt"
"I love you too Mom"
*9:35 PM*
Matt stood in the hallway and his mom signaled him to the table and he walked over sheepishly and then sat down.
"I'll go get TK," she said and Matt nodded as Nancy walked to TK's door when she knocked and there was no response she felt her heart sink. She knocked on the door "TK?" she asked through the door and mumbled under her breath "Not again.." she knew she should have told him to always have the door open, but she didn't want him to feel like he has no privacy, and the last time she did that he just went into the bathroom.
She walked over to the counter and grabbed the key to his door. Matt saw her grab something white but he didn't know what.
"I'll back give me a minute," she said to Matt and he nodded. She opened the door and shut it behind her knowing that TK probably didn't want Matt knowing, but if something happened where he needed to know she would tell him. When she saw TK passed out and his bloody arm she got the same feeling of failure that she couldn't stop him. She shook her head and walked over to him, she bandaged the cut but other scars going up his arm were there. She sighed as she pulled down his sleeve, she hated seeing him like that.
"TK," she said softly trying to wake him "TK wake up" she saw his eyes start to open slowly. When he woke up a flash of pain went straight through his arm, he winched.
"TK this has to stop," his mom said and TK squinted and looked away. "What happens when you go too far?" She said sternly but the worry was the main emotion in her voice.
"It wouldn't matter," he said and added under his breath "and people would be relieved" but with TK's luck his mom heard it
"TK! Don't say that!" She said and TK opened his mouth to protest but nothing came out. "This has to stop" Tk tensed up "what did they say this time?" She asked in a softer and worried voice
"Just. Stuff" TK said not wanting to talk about it his mom sighed
"TK if you don't tell me I don't have anything to say to the principal, he didn't believe me last time you need to-"
"Don't say anything!" TK pleaded with a voice completely filled with terror. The last time his mom said something (and the times before that) they beat the crap out of him and gave him a swirly, they also said if he or anyone told they'd do it again 10 times worse which they did, his mom, of course, didn't know that because she'd probably call the cops.
"TK it won't stop if I don't," she said calmly
"It wouldn't help.," TK said softly, his voice almost a whisper.
"TK?" His mother's voice said she hadn't heard what he said. TK stayed silent and he jumped as his phone beeped. His mom looked at him "do they have your number" she asked shocked TK bit his lip and wished he could start the process all over again. His mom got the message "Ok that's it I'm changing your number!" She exclaimed in complete shock "why didn't you tell me?" She asked and pleaded "please tell me…"
"Because everything they say is true" TK murmured unaware that his mom had heard
"Tk! Stop it now!" she scolded and TK tensed up and she sighed "if you really think it's true then tell me and I'll tell you if it is," she said hoping she could either boost his self-esteem or get something tell the principle
"Yeah. No" TK said
"TK.." she said softly "please?" The blond shook his head
"It's not important," he said softly
"Your mental health isn't important?" She asked sternly and TK shook his head and said
"I'm not important," he said in all honesty
"Is that what they tell you?! Because let me tell you something you are important, you're important to me TK" Nacey said sternly, TK looked away and closed his eyes tightly. "Understand?" But her response was TK biting his lip. "TK!"
"Sure..?"
"TK Takashi!"
"What?!" TK said annoyed and turned his head to look his mother in the eye and shook his head "I'll never believe you, you always tell me to think the truth and this is it" he said as he looked away
"Contrary to your beliefs, everything they say isn't true," she said, "and you need to know that, a year ago, would you have said that?" TK shook his head "so what made you so unimportant over the course of a year?"
"I just didn't get it then…"
"What didn't you get TK?"
"That things would be better if I wasn't here!" TK said in a soft yell as he stood up as his mom went to talk he interjected "things would have been better for you, you worked tirelessly to help Matt but you always had to worry about me, not to mention it probably wouldn't have been a problem, and things would have probably been better for him!" He said tears stinging his eyes
"And what makes you think that?!" Nacey said as she stood up looking him, both with tear stricken eyes
"You said they were suspicious but they didn't have any evidence if I wasn't here Matt would have most likely gone with you for that reason, and they would have been able to figure it out quicker!" TK said and fell to the floor crying and clenched his fists "it'd be better for everyone-" he would have continued but his mother rushed to his side and pulled him into a hug
"Don't you ever think that" she replied tears streaming down her face "what happened in this 'family' is not your fault! It had nothing to do you with you, things happen, but if you weren't here I wouldn't have done anything but try and prove this, that would be my whole life. As much as I wanted to get Matt sooner, I would have probably gone homeless from never working and I wouldn't have the money to pay for court. Whenever I thought about staying late I remembered you were here you were in the back of my head to make sure you were always ok. TK you helped me fix this, so don't ever say that it's your fault!"
TK let tears fall from his tear-stricken eyes he stayed silent unsure of what to say. "It's not your fault…"
*9:50*
Nancy led TK out of the room and they both joined Matt at the table, awkwardly. Nancy put something away and TK messed with the bottom of his sleeve trying to calm his anxiety.
Nancy started the conversation.
"Matt you went to Oak Wood High right?"
"Yeah…"
"Oh ok, so I won't have to change your school"
"Mhm…" An awkward silence followed and TK continued to twirl the bottom of his sleeve, careful not to let it ride up. After dinner they all went to sleep, it was awkward throughout the entire house. Matt sat on the floor staring at the ceiling. This was all happening so fast, one minute he's at his dad's, in his alcoholic grasp, and the next, he's here, under the love and care of his mother.
Matt sighed and looked at the bed that was supposedly his. It was to weird to him, he spent most of his life sleeping on the floor with nothing but his backpack to lay on. In the winter he almost froze to death (several times). The blond looked down at his arms, there were the bruises he had expected to be there, so was it really over? Or was he just on the path away? When he heard the door open he jumped.
"Matt?" His mom called looking down at the ground when she didn't see him in his bed. She walked over to him after silently shutting the door. Matt tensed up and Nancy looked at him sympathetically. "I know it's gonna take some time" Matt looked at her, he had his knees hugged to his chest "But as I said before, what's here is yours, the way your father treated you, should have never happened, however, you had to get anything, food, water, shelter, you don't need to earn it, it's yours"
"But I should have to, since you have to work for it, like bills and stuff…" Matt replied looking down at the floor, "it's not fair that you have to do all these things and I just take it-" Nancy pulled him into a hug, cutting him off
"Hey, if I felt that way, I wouldn't have had kids, you don't have to do anything, alright, there's no reason to feel like your selfish, I'd rather you just live like any other child then like this, alright? I know it'll take time, and I can accept that, only if you can accept this is how it's gonna be, alright?" Matt nodded crying silently, Nancy knew he was, a parent thing. She tightened her grip on Matt. "Promise you'll try?"
"OK..." Matt replied reluctantly, and she was right it would take a long time to get used to it.
Authors Note:
Heya! I hope you enjoy this new story, I'll post a new chapter every Friday, I just wanted to get this up today because yeah. I don't know what else to say, so yeah. I don't think you understand how devoted I am to this, I promised I'd get this up on the 20th, and I couldn't get home because my family was playing Pokemon Go and I didn't have my computer, so here I am at 11:53, putting the final touches on here. Ugh...
-WriterChloeEliz
Instagram for sneak peaks and updates: WriterChloeEliz