Title: Stay
Author: Reese Craven
Summary: Pre-series. Brian deals with his fathers' abuse with the help of his best friend.
Warnings: Mentions of abuse. Brian is slightly out of character (but that makes sense, since he is younger..). One shot.
Notes and Disclaimer: Brian Kinney intrigues me. He's such a complex character that I felt like taking him out of the creators' toy box and playing with him myself. So…sadly I don't own him, but I'd like to. The title is kind of random, just a word out of the story. Somehow it fits, but doesn't cover the plot… oh well. I'll do better next time. I hope.
Also, this is my first try at this particular fandom. Don't mock me to an ungodly extent please. This is one of those plot bunnies that attacks ruthlessly and just…doesn't….leave. So, don't hate me if it sucks. Personally, I like it.
--
Crash.
Silence reigned in the house. The vase lay on the carpet in pieces, jagged and chipped. Brian's eyes widened. He was in deep shit. Jack Kinney stumbled toward him after dropping his bottle of booze carelessly on the table. Brian hadn't meant to break the vase. He was only trying to get his comic book back from Claire.
Jack Kinney didn't seem to care.
--
Briing. Briing. Briiiiiing.
Debbie Novotny covered her head with her pillow. Blearily she opened her eyes and glanced at her alarm clock. Seeing the decidedly AM timing she groaned. Who the fuck would call this fucking early? Muttering to herself, she picked up the phone and was about to tell whoever it was to fuck off for a few hours before she heard her son pick up the line downstairs and manage a sleepy sounding hello. For a few seconds there was only heavy breathing as an answer.
"Michael?"
"Yeah. Brian? Don't you realize it's 2:30 in the morning?"
Debbie nodded her agreement and was about to add in her own two cents about Brian being an asshole when Brian answered.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have called. I- I'll just go now-"
"Brian wait! What's wrong? You don't sound too good. Are you okay?"
Humorless cynical laughter was heard on the other side. "I'm great Mikey. Can't you tell?"
"What happened Brian? Did your dad-"
"I don't want to talk about him right now. God Mikey, why did I bother calling?" Debbie could hear tears in the boys' voice. She knew she should put the phone down and give them some privacy, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had a need to know what was going on and make sure her sons' best friend was alright.
"I'm glad you called. I was getting bored with sleeping anyway."
"You don't have to lie to make me feel better Mikey."
"Why don't you just come over here? We can read my new Captain Astro-"
"You and your comic books," she heard Brian scoff. "If heroes like that actually existed, don't you think the world would be better than it is now? Don't you think that they could keep people like my dad from drinking? Or save you if you hoped hard enough…" Brian's voice cracked and there was silence for a minute while he tried to pull himself together while sniffing back the tears.
"Come over here Brian. We can just tell my mom that you found a really hot picture of Patrick Swayze and couldn't wait to show it to me…"
"I can't Mikey. My dad will kill me if I leave the house looking like this… It's why I had to wait till two in the fucking morning to call you. I wish I was dead. Then I wouldn't have to deal with this shit. What do you think Mikey? Should I just slit my wrists now and let my father have to deal with the social consequences?"
"No Brian! Don't do something stupid like that. Stay on the phone with me okay? Say the word and I'll go over there. Tell me what to do and I'll do it."
Silence on the line again and Debbie found herself holding her breath.
"Just… stay right there. I'll stop being overdramatic in a minute." Brian's breathing slowed down to normal.
"Overdramatic or not, as long as you're alive that's all that counts. But you can come over anytime you want to you know."
"Thanks Mikey."
Another phone was picked up and a deep gruff voice barked for Brian to get the fuck off the phone. Now.
"I've got to go. Talk to you when I can."
The connection broke. Debbie, now sitting up in bed, quietly lowered the receiver back to its holder. With a hand pressed to her heart she prayed that, even though Brian could be an asshole, he'd make it. But for right now, she had hot chocolate to make for herself and her son Michael.
--
Brian sat huddled down under the covers of his bed. Hey, it was a barrier between him and Jack no matter how thin. His door was locked, but with the door itself being made of basically cheap plywood and cardboard, it wasn't very difficult to unlock it. Brian tried to keep his breathing normal, to prove to Jack that he wasn't afraid of him. Even if he did jump each time Jack pounded on his bedroom door. Eventually the door gave and Jack Kinney drunkenly staggered in.
Brian closed his eyes anticipating the punch that would blacken his other eye or break his nose. It never came. Jack had stepped on Michaels' Captain Astro comic and slipped, hitting his head hard against the floor just outside of Brian's room. Whether it was a miracle or a combination of the blow to his head and the alcohol the man had consumed, he was passed out in the hallway.
He couldn't help smiling. Jack Kinney, 0. Captain Astro, 1.
Mikey was right. Even if the comic book characters of Captain Astro and Galaxy Lad hadn't come to life and saved him from being hit, they had kept it from happening twice in one day. He was safe for today.