Chapter 1: Someone You Loved

TWs: Homophobic Slur, Mentions of Abuse, Swearing and Depression.

Clay aka Dream, has known that he was gay since he was young but due to the area he grew up around and that his parents were heavily homophobic, always saying things to him like "You better not be a fag!" or "Gay's go to hell". So ever since he has been faking his life, in his mid 20s with a son called Ranboo, who he loves, but also a wife that has always known that he was gay just never commented on it, that doesn't mean she wasn't an absolute bitch when it comes to normal everyday life. The two of them constantly getting into arguments over the simplest of things like the grocery shopping or if the bed was made properly, I know, stupid right?

Every single argument worsening Clay's mental health to the point that most nights he couldn't even be there to tuck his son into bed or read him a bedtime story so the kid could sleep well. Most nights he would spend at his best friends house, Nick aka Sapnap, and every time he would go over there Nick would say the same thing.

"You need to get away from her"

Clay would always have the same response to it.

"But I don't want to risk losing Ranboo"

It was the 2nd of November, an ordinary day for most people but it was Ranboo's fourth birthday.

Clay opened his eyes to his excited son jumping up and down on his and his wife's bed.

"Oh good you're awake" his wife scoffed from the on suite bathroom, noticing the movement coming from the bed. Clay glaring at her.

Ranboo was way to young to know and understand what was going on between his mom and dad but that still doesn't mean that they're constant arguing doesn't upset him, something that Clay could never forgive himself for. The constant crying coming from his child after the kid's parents were shouting and swearing about the groceries, does take a toll on a child, Clay would know.

"Dad, it's my birthday!" Ranboo excitedly shouted, still jumping up and down on his parent's bed, luckily not tumbling off it.

"I know, bud!" Clay responded, grabbing his son and starting to tickle him. "HAHA Help Mom!" shouted Ranboo trying to get out of the grasp of his father.

"Clay get off of him, it's time for presents" his wife, whose name is actually Sophie, said shooting Clay a stern look, he immediately let's go of his son.

"Yeah, of course, come on, bud, time for presents, I'll be down in a minute" said Clay, escorting his son out of the bedroom.

"Don't mess up today, Clay, I want him to have a good birthday for once" Sophie said just before leaving the bedroom as well.

"I won't plus you're the on who causes the arguments, so I won't mess up because I think we both know that I am the one who wants him to enjoy his birthday more" Clay scoffed, Sophie not bothering to respond and just left the room.

Clay grabbed his bottle of anti-depressants from the cabinet in his bathroom something he tries to hide from his wife as he knew that if she found out, she would just have a fit at him about him and get suspicious about why. He proceeded to sort out his messed up hair and went to change out of his pyjamas into some nicer clothes for his son, ending up with black jeans and a flannel shirt on his body.

As he went downstairs to join his son and the devil that was his wife, he saw Ranboo looking over the mountain of presents that were all for him.

/

"Wow, you guys are the best!" Ranboo exclaimed, after opening all of his presents, running to hug his parents that were sharing a couch but on opposite ends of it.

/

Clay had just finished working when it was time to go and get Ranboo from nursery.

By the time Clay had gotten back with the birthday boy Sophie was already home and it was almost time to start the evening festivities.

"Hey, bud, how about you go to your room and get changed ready for your little party?" Clay asked nicely, Ranboo instantly nodding running to his room at a safe pace to get ready. The party was a costume one and Ranboo wanted to be a made up character where he was to wear a golden crown, a black and white mask and a pair of black and green glasses with a black suit.

Clay proceeded to go to his bedroom but as he walked in he noticed his life flash before his eyes. Sophie, sat on the bed holding a yellow bottle full of pills, she was in shock but as she noticed Clay that shock turned to anger.

"What are these, Clay?" she shouted, probably waking up the neighbours if they were asleep.

"Um, they are pills" Clay stated the obvious really not wanting to have this conversation right now.

"Get you dare get smart with me, what are these?" she scoffed, getting louder and louder.

"They're anti depressants" Clay sat down on the bed.

"But why have you got them?"

"I've had them for like two years now but I've been depressed for way longer" said Clay, not actually answering the question he was asked.

"Oh my god, it's true ain't it, I've had my suspicions since the start" she was ready to beat him up.

"What are you talking about, Sophie?" at this point Ranboo was peeking through the door but neither of his parents could see him.

"THAT YOU'RE GAY!" she exploded, Ranboo with tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.

"Bang on, you are, my entire life I have been put up with shit, I could never of come out ot my parents, so I hid it from everyone and I got stuck with you, you..." Clay cried out, not being able to hold it in an longer.

"Mom, Dad, what's going on?" Ranboo cried, walking into the bedroom.

"Oh, Hey, bud don't cry, nothing's wrong just go back to your room and finish getting ready" Clay cried, trying to calm his son down. Ranboo slightly nodded and left the room.

"Look what you have done, Clay"

"What I have done? Your the one who shouts about everything. I try my best for my son and this family just to be treated like shit by you. I love my son and Nick always tells me why I haven't left you and you know what I tell him?" Sophie shook her head. "I tell him that the reason was is because I don't want to lose Ranboo,"

"Look, Clay, I'm sorry but you for all these years you have lied to me, you could have said that you were gay from the start and I still would have went with it cause I loved you but now I think you know what needs to happen"

Sophie was always a weird woman, she would go from nice to evil and this was definetely one of those tomes. Every time they would have one of their big arguments as a punishments she would force Clay to have sex with her or she would whip him very hard for a long time. The only reason he dealt with it was because of his son and he wouldn't let that happen but know he was at his breaking point.

"This ain't happening not today, it his birthday and we have already ruined it, let's not make it worse shall we?" Clay pleaded but in a threatening tone.

"It's either sex or your being whipped or the third option?"

"What's the third option?"

"You leave here forever and never come back, you fag" that word triggered Clay having heard it enough as a child from his parents, now from his wife.

"Fine but I'm taking Ranboo with me" Clay shouted.

"Good, then I'll have the two of you shit's out of my life" she had snapped and had lost her mind, she would never talk about Ranboo like that, not once.

"Fuck you, Sophie" Clay spat as he left the bedroom not even bothering to pack up his things, he had clothes at Nick's anyway from how often he slept there.

As he went to get Ranboo, peeking into his son's room as the kid was sitting there on his bed sobbing over hearing his parents.

"Hey, kiddo, we have to go, so shall we get some things packed up for you" Clay's heart was broken as soon as he saw the face of his broken son, who nodded sadly, probably realising what was going on.

"Dad, why do we have to go?" asked the broken child.

"Your mother said some very bad things, so I have to leave but I can't leave you. But it's up to you, kiddo?" Clay said as he ran around the room packing up things into a blue suitcase for his son.

"I'll come, where are we going?" Ranboo answered, his mood starting to be lightened at the possibility of an adventure.

"Well we will go to Uncle Nicks for the night, then we will figure it out in the morning, come on, let's go" Clay finished grabbing a hold of Ranboo's small hand and leaving the house once and for all.

/

"Can we stay here for the night?" Clay asked as Nick just opened his front door.

"Yeah sure, what happened?" asked a worried Nick.

"I'll tell you in a minute let me just put him to sleep" Clay quickly escorted Ranboo to Nick's guest bedroom to put him to bed.

"Hey, bud, I'm so sorry about your birthday but I promise you that all your future ones will be amazing" Clay said tucking his son into the bed.

"I love you dad"

"I love you too, bud"

/

After putting Ranboo to bed, Clay told Nick about everything that happened with Sophie and that Clay as planning on leaving the country with Ranboo and going to England.

"Why England?" Nick questioned handing Clay a beer.

"I don't know, no language barrier I guess plus it seems cool" answered Clay, opening and taking a sip of the cold beer.

"Well I'm going to miss you, man" Nick said in a sad tone.

"Why don't you just come with us?" offered Clay, already expecting the answer to be a no.

"What?" said a surprised Nick.

"Come with us to England, I don't want to stop being able to be close friends just because of my bitch of a wife"

"Well, I would love to visit England plus nothing here is really working out" Nick sighed.

"No luck finding a girl that will take you" Clay joked, Nick shaking his head in response.

"Well then it's sorted, we move to England, get a house together just the three of us until we find people to love" Clay said, both men smashing their beer bottles together like a toast had just been given.

/

Clay proceeded to book flights to England for the next day for the three of them and headed off to bed in anticipation for England.