Author's note: Cowritten with my friend, line signifies perspective change.
"Forget about me Jayson! I'm leaving and I'm never coming back." Yelled Damian, tears rolling down his cheeks. He walked out of the house as Jayson chased after him. "Please!" Jayson screamed, collapsing onto the floor and sobbing. He watched through tears as Damian sped away on the bright, sunny day in July. He kept crying on the floor until his stomach was hurting from his body shaking and the heart-wrenching sobs that emanated from his body, nobody in the house. Not even his son, who was with Rose. He got up slowly, shaking, every muscle in his body weakened, every bone feeling as brittle as could be. He coughed and his breath shook and his eyes burned and his head was aching to the worst degree possible as he stumbled over to Jeff's house. He knocked on the door, sniffing back tears that he was surprised he could still produce.
Jeff had been busy taking care of his step kids. As they went down for their naps, he heard a car speed off wondering if James was up to his antics once again. He shook his head, thinking of the trouble he would end up in this time. He was just about to start dinner when he heard a knock at his front door. Jeff walked to the door, seeing the frame of Jayson, but it was collapsed. His heart stopped in fear as he opened the door. The look in Jayson's eyes said it all: the car hadn't been James. It was as if something came over him, Jeff scooped Jayson up as he fell into Jeff's arms. He carried him up to his room, laying down with Jayson and holding him close.
Jayson started sobbing again when Jeff carried him up to the room, his heart feeling like it was in a million pieces. He clung onto his older brother as strong as he could, though it was weak in comparison to what he could do at full strength. "He left me." He choked out, his voice breaking at the second word. "Again. Jeff, he's… gone…" He said, shutting his eyes tight to try to stop the tears and biting down hard on his lips. With no surprise, more tears started flowing and more sounds came from his mouth. "I lost him.. f-for good…" his voice trailed off as his face buried into Jeff's shoulder, feeling the words hit him like bricks with every syllable he had spoken.
Jeff held Jay close as he cried more and more. He didn't know what to say or do, all he knew was Jay just needed to be held and to know he was loved. As the tears from Jay started to slow, Jeff lifted his chin. "I love you baby bro, ok?" Jeff told him, kissing his forehead, "Can you tell me why he left? What made Damian decide to leave?" Jeff looked up to see Thad standing in the doorway behind Jayson. He motioned for him to stay quiet so he could hear as well why his nephew had left.
Jayson's voice shook as he tried to tell Jeff what had happened. "He was totally fine… and th-th-then I said something, I don't even remember… and he got pissed. Completely pissed off. I tried to calm him down but he just got more mad with everything I said to him. He called me a liar. He… he…" Jayson bit his lip as he tried to keep calm with telling his older brother. "He said he fell out of love with me." His voice was soft and pained with the last sentence. "He told me to forget about him."
Jeff nodded and sighed as he held his brother, listening to him speak. It hurt him so much to think that that could and did happen to his baby brother. As he looked up at Thad, Thad had the same look as Jeff in his eyes. It read I'll never leave you. Thad came over, hugging Jayson from behind. "I'm sorry Jay," he whispered to him, "I'm so sorry he hurt you. I still love you like a brother." Jeff kissed Jay's hair. "You still will and always have us, you're staying here tonight." Jeff whispered "No fighting."
Jayson laid his head onto Jeff's shoulder, looking at Thad, and closed his eyes. "I want him back so bad. I'm so in love with him…" His heart sunk into his stomach again, thinking about the last thing Damian had said to him, or might ever say to him again. He knew that this time wouldn't be the same as last time. He couldn't turn back to drugs because of his son, he couldn't drink. The one thing that kept him going every day was taken from him by its own will, and this time, he knew it'd never come back to him. Thad sat on the bed and Jayson crawled onto his lap, sniffing. "Is it manslaughter if it kills a person inside?"