Akili-chan: I forgot to respond to this last chapter but thank you for reviewing. Feedback keeps me going. :) Being in character is something I strive for. I have plan to go on for abit.
smergrl3495: Believe me I know how hard it is to find Darkdevil fic. Thank you for your kind words! Peters' relationship with Reilly will come from time to time.
A/N: This "fic" was actually a series of one shots I did based in this AU verse. That's the reason for the snapshot feel and the different styles. This one has to do with a character I felt compelled to write about to try and understand him better. While Reilly, May and April do factor into this one this was a way of looking a Gene in a different light to try to figure out how someone with such a great family could end up like he did. That said something that relates to him (you'll see) hasn't factored into future chapters. So let me know what you think and I'll tell you why I saw it this way.
Dad stopped being proud of him awhile back. Following his legacy as a star athlete wasn't cutting it anymore. Gene simply wasn't allowed the kind of slack he got before he got transferred to Midtown High. Guess the old man didn't want his son to embarrass him anymore. His trump card: bringing up how mom ditched them to shack up with another woman, didn't work like it used too. No more guilt ridden trips to the mall, no more guys night, those days were apparently gone.
His break up with May made most of the school hate his guts. Nerds, jocks, even the freaking glee club loved the girl. There was something special about her alright but Gene didn't like to think of her and the missed chances. Felicity asked him why he was such a jerk when it came to girls. He told her to shut up although he knew she never would.
"It's their fault for not seeing what a catch I am. May never made time for me. I was lucky if she remembered I existed!" She snorted in disgust.
"You wrecked something that was important to her! Not to mention how many times you cheated on her to be with that sleezy Simone."
"Like I said, she never made time for me! Simone does." In fact one of the highlights of his relationship with Simone was how she made time with him.
"I'll bet." His sister grumbled darkly. Genes' own features hardened at her disbelief. Was it really asking so much to have his family take his side? With her eyes narrowed and hair framing her face Felicity looked like their mother. This was all her fault. "What did Simone do to damage your fragile pride? Or are you trying to be "just friends" with April?"
"Like a baby like you knows anything." His little sister would never get what the real problem was.
"More than you do." She taunted in the sing-song voice she KNEW he hated. "How you treated May was bad enough but Simones' not going to be so forgiving. And if you thought you were embarrassed with how May stood up to you then you better not try anything with April. She'll tear you apart."
Felicity sounded worried, as if something awful just occurred to her that disturbed her. Gene was too lost in his own dark musings to resister it. All the girls he dated were different. Making out, getting together...Gene liked all that stuff. It was hard to explain even to himself. None of them could keep his interest for long. May was different, she was a girl that he could let himself fall for. But he knew that she never felt the same. In his desperation he went too far.
For the next couple hours the siblings talked on meaningless matters. He promised dad he'd walk Felicity home before he marched back home like a good boy to comply with his punishment. Painting the new workout room then homework until his old man felt he earned his trust back or some crap. Along the way Gene forgot who he would be seeing when they arrived at their destination. Mom and HER. Scowling Gene ignored the home wreckers' greeting and gave his mother a grunt of acknowledgement.
For the most fleeting of moments Genes' eyes met his moms'. An irrational impulse to confide his fears to her came over him. To hope that she could somehow magically make everything alright like she used to. The moment was shattered when SHE placed her hand on his mothers' hip. Gene refused to walk his sister home for two following weeks.
To say that he should have heeded Felicitys' warning was the understatement of the year. Neither Simone or April held his interest for long. Once again he found himself looking elsewhere. They didn't get it any better than he did. While Simone was able to influence the student body enough to keep his social status to the point it was non-existent April had scared him. Really and truly frightened him on a level he hadn't thought possible for a high school girl. Physically she hadn't done more than tossed him aside (those Parkers must have taught their girls that one early) but the things she said were worse.
The Parkers weren't pleased with him which inspired a gathering with his family. His parents (along with that woman), and Mays' parents talked behind closed doors. Felicity was no where to be seen but he knew that she was trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. Well maybe she'd tell him what school dad was shipping him off to this time. April stood by herself on his front porch looking far too smug for his taste. He didn't know what that lying witch said to inspire this scale of an intervention but he wasn't going to stand for it. Too furious to care that she freaked him out or could humiliate him more than any girl outside of his sister Gene stormed over to her.
"What did you tell them you lying-!" He had reached for her arm but he never got that far. For a second he thought that May was butting in again. Tugging hard he tried to pull away, the grip was way too strong to be hers and a second later he was proven right when he was spun around. May was in the distance telling him to back off. The glare of the sun blinded Gene for a moment but since it wasn't a girl he figure he'd teach the guy his place. The fist never made contact. A flat palm blocked him and encirlced this hand to keep him still. "Mind your own business!"
"Yeah, I can see why this one wasn't a keeper." A male voice scoffed. Eyes adjusting the light Gene stared at the guy holding him off. The red hair caught his attention first. Outside of Mrs. Parker, and a couple girls at school he had never seen that many red heads in person. There was that one weird kid in middle school that he used to pick on. Freckled faced, gangly thing, hardly a looker and just plain awkward. This guy wasn't like that, didn't even have a freckle on him.
"Careful Ry, wouldn't want to hurt poor widdle Gene. You know how upset May gets when pathetic losers like him get what they deserve." Pure malice laced Aprils' smile and he resisted the odd impulse to shudder.
The red head, "Ry", dropped his fist without a second glance. "I'm just making sure no one gets carried away." Something about his tone suggested he wasn't referring to Gene. Like the guy he was fighting with wasn't freaking important!
"Yeah? And who the hell are you?"
Brown eyes regarded Gene cooly, as if he didn't belong in this discussion. "Someone who doesn't like to explain himself."
"He's family." April responded a second later. "Bet you didn't count on us having someone else who can kick your ass without lifting a finger."
"You're not helping." May hissed but April was beyond caring. She seemed to like challenging Genes' manhood.
"This is our loser ex. He was under the impression that I was going to be a push over like his other girlfriends."
"Hey! I wasn't a push over!" Her cousin argued.
"Suuure you weren't." The raven haired girl rolled her eyes skyward.
"Whatever. If this guy is the toad you make him to be-"
"He is." Both girls responded in perfect union.
"Hey!" They were not only ganging up on him but dissing him? On his own front porch no less?
"-then I don't see why he's worth the effort. " Showing no interest in Gene the boy called Ry (for Ryan?) turned away. April pouted like wanted to see her family defend her honor. Then seeing how livid her ex was over being ignored she brightened up considerably.
Gene yelled after the trio until his sister finally returned from listening in on their parents. He couldn't say why he cared. After he got together with Simone he could write off Parker and her band as losers. Maybe he was running out of supporters. But that guy with April and May got to him. Misunderstanding his temper tantrum Felicity went on babbling over what she overheard.
"Couldn't get much after Mr. Parker caught me spying on them. I think their keep you in school but mom thinks it would be best if we all spend more time together."
"Who's that guy with the Parker girls?"
Felicity stopped her steady stream of commenarty to stare at him. "Who Mr. Parker?"
"Don't play dumb, that red head-Ry! They said he was family."
She shrugged. "Beats me, I never even heard about him."
"I thought you were supposed to be close to Parker. Shows what you know."
Her eyes blazed with a fierceness he didn't even know she had. "More than you, jerk! And you wonder why no one likes you!"
Not being one for introspectiveness Gene ignored his sisters' insults and focused on getting past his current dilemma with their parents. Enduring them over the next week proved to be the most difficult task he'd been faced with in a long time. They were always on his case refusing to cut him any slack. When he was allowed out he had to bring the tag-a-long with him. Felicity was supposed to tattle on him if he stepped out of line. Dating was permanently banned until he could conduct himself in a "mature fashion."
Much as he hated being followed by his little sister it was better than the alternative. More quality time with the parents plus moms' girlfriend. No thanks. Gene would take what little freedom he had. In between these outings he'd see this Ry guy out with one or both Parker girls. Usually May who seemed to be intent on showing him everything and anything that went on in her life. Judging by the rumor mill no one else had any idea what his story was either. That didn't stop the stories from spreading, each telling more elaborate than the next. They encountered him personally most of those occasions. Alright, Gene made it a point to push the guys' buttons as often as he could. Ry ignored him for the most part only physically encountering him once when Gene lost his temper enough to throw a punch that would never hit it's target. With barely any effort the red head flipped him on his ass.
"You're acting pretty obsessed over a guy you barely know." Yes, for once Felicity nailed it. Gene couldn't help it. Much as he wanted to get over it something kept pushing him to seek the other boy out. Felicity called it male pride. "If what April says is true-that he's family-then he's not dating either of them, so why are you on his case? Your ego can't let it go?"
His ego did play a role in this mess. Each meeting with Ry ended the same. Making a fool of himself and the other boy completely disinterested in anything he said. Like he was freaking bored! He didn't know why the dismissal bothered him so much but it did all the same.
Due to the recent scare down the street not many came to the Cafe Indigo that night. Parker (May) and him did. Peeking over the side of their booth Gene could see Parker indicating something with her frantic hand motions. Ry seemed to be patently listening but adding his comments every now and then. The smirk that curved into place at Parkers' annoyed expression was interesting. Most of the guys' smiles were small like nothing could break through that cool facade of his.
Not knowing why Gene started to wonder if there was a way to get the guy alone without the girls interfering. Maybe he wouldn't pound him like he wanted to but he'd get some reaction from him. It seemed important to him to at least get some acknowledgement if he couldn't at least earn some respect. Might even get a real reaction for once. The moment finally came seventeen minutes after they arrived. When Parker snuck off to the bathroom Felicity followed with her patented "innocent" look that never fooled him. She was Parkers' problem now, Gene had other plans.
Sliding out of their booth he snuck up to the corner Ry was standing with his back to him. This was going to be easy.
"What do you want, Thompson?" How did he know?
"I want you to show me the respect I deserve!"
The red head turned wearing a sharper smirk than the one he gave Parker. "I thought I was. Thing about respect Thompson, you only get what you give. And you've never stuck me as a particularly giving person."
"Bull! You've been acting like this since I met you!"
"You mean when you threw a punch at a total stranger?" Amusement laced his voice but the other boys' face was deceptively blank.
"After you grabbed me, jerk!" Seeing that Ry was about to counter Gene shook his head. "You know what? Forget it! The point is that you've been treating me like I was beneath your notice! I'm Gene Thompson, star of Midtown High! Got that pal!"
"What did you want me to do? Respond to your childish antics? Yes, excuse me for taking the higher road." Glancing at the bathroom the two girls had gone into the boy sighed.
"So what, you're better than me? Is that what you're saying?"
Ry regarded Gene with a curious expression. "Why does it matter what I think of you?" The question was asked in a slow manner, like he was testing a theory. Feeling the first tremors of panic Gene recoiled.
"It doesn't!"
"If it doesn't matter why are you bothering with me?" Enlightenment bloomed in those brown eyes, he offered Gene a knowing if uncomfortable look. Like he was a little embarrassed with what he saw in Genes' motives.
The blond could feel a flush forming but he didn't know why. He must have been really pissed. But all he could feel was blind terror. "It doesn't! I just want respect, alright!"
Fleeing back to his table Gene called Felicitys' cell to tell her that he was leaving without her if she didn't get her butt back there. Scowling she met him at the door demanding an answer she would never get.
This was all moms' fault, he thought. For the past few months it had become something of a manta although he rarely ever acknowledged what precisely was to be blamed on his mother. Because Gene Thompson wasn't bi-sexual. He just wasn't.