Rufioh could barley sleep as he lied in bed, his eyes closing and opening every hour. It was a restless night and he hoped that he could do something for the young Makara staying in his home. He rose up about 4am when he heard his bedroom door open. "Mr. Nitram?" Gamzee's voice came from the other side. "Yes?" Asked the elder Nitram with an exhausted tone. "It was my dad." Gamzee's voice was filled with certainty. "What?" The elder man asked with confusion and worry. "My dad and one of his friends attacked you the other night." "How did yo-" "you would have called the cops on the guy if it weren't my dad. Its kinda obvious." Rufioh's eyes filled with tears as he moved to hold Gamzee in his arms. Gamzee stood there indifferently as he was being hugged. "I mutherfucking like you." Gamzee whispered before clarifying, "I wish you were my dad... Tavros is really lucky. I just hope my bad luck don't all up and rub off on him." Rufioh sobbed for the both of them.
"Gamzee, you're such a good kid. You are lucky. You're lucky to have met my boy and you are lucky to have two homes. You are lucky to be in school and lucky enough to be one of the kindest and smartest people I have ever met." The older man looked into Gamzee's eyes and tussled his hair. "I'm sorry about your dad. I think I hurt your old man." "You should have called the cops." Gamzee replied as he took a step back. Confused the elder Taurus raised a brow. "He would have hurt you, you know. I will be okay without him. Foster care isn't that bad." Gamzee gave a small smile and turned away. Rufioh took his hand and gently pulled him back, "Don't say that. He is your only father. He has made mistakes, he is only human." Gamzee twitched and pulled his arm away angrily. The young Makara turned to face the elder Nitram and shouted, "He is a monster! Ever since my mom passed he blamed me! He beat me! He puts me down every time I try to pick myself back up! He hasn't been my father since I was-" "Gamzee?" A timid and drowsy voice came from the stairs. Tavros looked at them confused and scared from the middle of the stairs. "Shit, sorry Tav-bro did I all up and wake you?" Gamzee asked Tavros whom shrugged and looked down.
Rufioh stood and rubbed his face, "Go back to bed, both of you. You have school and need your sleep." The teens nodded and walked back up stairs. Rufioh went back to his room and sat on his bed thinking of everything that had happened the previous night. He pushed his back against the cool wood of his head board and pulled his knees up to his chest. His eyes half opened as he stared into the darkness. He knew sooner or later he will have to confront his attacker. He was taking care of Gamzee after all. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers and looked to the ceiling. By the time the sun had rose in the sky Rufioh was ready for work and waited for his son and Gamzee to come down stairs. The teens came down stairs ready and smiling at each other. The elder Taurus saw something in Gamzee's eyes just for a moment when he was talking to Tavros. He shrugged it off and walked them to the car. Mentally exhausted the adult Taurus dropped off the boys and drove to his work place. As Rufioh was walking up to the doors his eyes fell on the blood stained concrete. His memory's came to life as he stood there starring at the blood.
The teenage Rufioh walked down the halls with confidence through the school. He was arm in arm with a beautiful girl with red lipstick. He kissed her cheek and she rolled her eyes and moved to another guy kissing him happily. The Taurus teen moved on to another girl with short black hair and blue eyes magnified by her blue rimmed glasses. They kissed deeply infront of the cool kids which made Cronus stand up fast and run towards them. The taller boy began screaming in Rufioh's face shaking him by his shoulders. The teenage Rufioh only smiled before headbutting the other with as much force as he could. Cronus held his nose as he stumbled back. Blood dripped down the Aquarius' chin as he fell back landing on the cold concrete floor staining it crimson. The two teens glared at each other for a long moment before the girl took Rufioh's arm and walked away. "Rufioh!" The voice shook him from his thoughts as he looked up at a customer with a concerned look stepping out of the bar. "You okay?" The man asked as the elder Nitram nodded with a smile, "y-yeah. I'm fine." He walked in and waved at the customer as he clocked in. The work day came and went with no sign of the two men from last night.
He hurried to his car out of fear of being caught off guard again after clocking out. When he was safe in his car he sighed and drove to the school and decided then and there that he has to confront Kurloz. Rufioh sighed again and reassured himself that it would be better than looking over his shoulder and dragging Tavros into this mess. "Hey dad!" Tavros chimed as he swung open the passenger side door. Rufioh smiled happily at his son, "Hey, how was school?" Rufioh asked as his eyes moved to Gamzee whom began to get into the back seat. "It was so cool! Our science teacher was teaching us about what elements react bad when in contact with water and she forgot to open the doors so the fire alarm went off and we all finished the experiments outside after calling the front desk and telling them it was a false alarm." Rufioh chuckled, "let that be a lesson in itself. Everyone even authority figures make mistakes. We are all only human."
Gamzee gazed out the window knowing full well what Rufioh was trying to say. "Gamzee," Rufioh began as he drove, "we are going to your house after we drop Tavros off." "What?" Gamzee asked a bit alarmed as he suddenly turned his head to the elder man. "We need to make sure he is alright." The elder Nitram clarified. Gamzee looked to Tavros then back to Rufioh and nodded. After Rufioh dropped Tavros off at home, he drove Gamzee to his house. A part of him hoped the elder Makara wasn't home and was at the hospital instead. Once parked in front of the home he looked to Gamzee, "stay here, if anything happens to you I won't forgive myself." The Taurus exited the car and with a deep breath and walked up to the door with what seemed like confidence though he was just masking his fear. A few feet from the door Rufioh went to the knock with trepidation. The echo from his knock filled the silence he was not aware of until that moment.
A public setting would have made him feel safer and his hope of the hospital scene was crushed when the door swung open. The elder Makara glared down at the shorter man, his mouth had black stitches on the sides. It almost looked as if someone tried to carve a smile on his cheek and the corner of his mouth. The tissue around the stitches seems like they would scar permanently. The shorter man averted his eyes. "I-i'm-" Rufioh started before he was interrupted, "I am in AA now." Rufioh looked up in shock not expecting Kurloz to say anything. "Does it hurt?" Rufioh asked his voice filled with regret. "Like a motherfucking bitch. Especially when I talk." Kurloz grumbled angrily and placed a large hand next to his stitches. "I'm sorry..." Rufioh apologized with a truly heartfelt tone in his voice.
Kurloz stood there quietly and began to sign to the smaller man, 'do you know sign language?' "I understand it a little but I don't know how to do it myself. How do you know sign language?" Rufioh asked honestly curious. 'My wife was def.' Kurloz signed with an irritated look, no not irritated but pained. As if he was filled with a deep sorrow that was more powerful than Rufioh's. "Well, I'm glad you're getting help with your alcohol abuse." Kurloz flipped him the bird which made the shorter man laugh. Kurloz seemed to visibly relax and shrugged before signing, 'I'm sorry too. I was drunk and-' Rufioh placed a hand on the taller man's stopping him from signing. "I get it. We are in the same boat." The taller man rose a brow at Rufioh's statement. The elder Nitram waved Gamzee over with a calm smile. When Gamzee exited the car he moved to stand next to Rufioh. Kurloz patted the top of Gamzee's head before gently pulling him into a tight hug. Gamzee let out a breath as if he were going to cry. They both seemed as if they were embracing someone they had lost years ago and just found today.
The shorter man felt happy and he backed away and turned to his car. He was going to leave when he heard and felt Gamzee run up and hug him from behind, "thank you Mr. Nitram." Rufioh had smiled and turned to hug him back. "I didn't do anything, Gamzee. You should thank your dad for getting help for himself." Gamzee looked up at him with a huge crooked smile and the Taurus couldn't help but see how they looked exactly like each other. He should have seen it before but he must have been too happy that his son made a lot of friends that first day of school. Rufioh's eyes moved up to Kurloz whom watched from the doorway. Bright brown eyes met dark Indigo ones and it felt as if time stopped for the Taurus. Rufioh broke the gaze first as he looked back down at Gamzee with blush on his cheeks, "Go on. Your dad needs you right now. Be sure to tell him Moderation is Key in this situation." Rufioh stated with a happy smile as Gamzee moved back to his father and the elder man walked to his driver side door. Kurloz waved before signing 'thanks for not calling the cops' then shutting the door and Rufioh looked away again not waving back. His heart began to pound more and it made him feel nauseous.
"Not again Rufioh. God not again." He whispered to himself as he started his car. "I hate him. He hates me. He's straight and I'm...' Rufioh's thoughts made him grip the steering wheel tight enough to make his knuckles turn white. The Taurus took a few deep breaths before driving back home, where his son was waiting for him. Tavros was the one good thing in his life now. The one thing that keeps him going. He decided to buy Tavros a chicken nugget meal on his way back for his sweet angel.