A/N: Hello there...with all this COVID-19 quarantine and Social distance business ongoing, I've been able to utilize my very limited and albeit rather stressful time to write a short little story to get my angst out because screaming F- You at angry customers would land me in the unemployment line. I was listening to Too Beautiful by He Is We and got to wondering about people not in a romantic situation, but simply being roommates with people that are abusive, whether that is emotional, physical, psychological. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. My curiosity and desire to read statistics became this little brain child, title subject to change. It's not a story written with the same close nit-picking that my other stories usually are and I've been having post withdrawals, so I'm going to leave this as open ended as possible. Everyone can draw their own conclusion. Not going to put my usual schtick like my other stories, honestly want some constructive criticism because I know this isn't written to the same standard as my other stories are. I may add to this later if there's enough interest that I continue
FYI: This story contains mentions of physical abuse, if you're triggered by subject matter DO NOT READ!
It started with a phone call. Alan had been terrified of going to bed, he'd sat up into the late hours of the night counting each breath he took until he'd calmed the shuddering enough to not give away that something was wrong. Alan continued telling himself he was alright and that there was nothing he couldn't handle. But just this once he wanted someone to care. Just this once he wanted someone other than himself to be strong for him and to tell him that he wasn't making a mistake by staying. Taking as deep a breath as he dared, Alan went outside onto the balcony avoiding looking into the little mirror by the window. He stared down at his phone, the number he had memorized dialed, but waiting to press SEND.
Once he'd pushed the send button, Alan pressed his phone to his ear. He listened to the ring tone, before he connected with a ringback tone that was Virgil's signature. It was from the Lord of The Ring and just hearing that song was enough to replace his previous frown with a small smile. It hurt however to smile too broadly. When the call connected, Virgil spoke softly.
"Alan, is everything okay? You never call this early." Virgil said, instantly making Alan regret calling. He hadn't thought of the time difference, nor had he thought that Virgil would immediately be preceptive of there being something wrong. "Why aren't you using the video feature? You usually do."
"Oh, I'm on the balcony with no lights. It'd be next to impossible to see me." Alan replied, almost too quickly, too easily. The lies were coming easier and Alan knew he should be ashamed of lying, but he didn't know what else to do. He valued his freedom, valued the ability to live away from the family home and have a life all his own. He was free to date who he wanted, and he was free to do as he wished. He couldn't do that at home. His father wanted him to live at home with his brothers and rescue people along side of them. But Alan wasn't ready to give up his life. He wasn't ready to give up his life in New York. He had a great apartment. His own space that he didn't have to share with anyone except his roommate. He didn't have to share with his brothers, father, housekeepers or the gardener.
"So, turn on the balcony light. It's been months since I got to see you. You never come visit anymore." Virgil said, reminding Alan of why last time he had cancelled his trip suddenly. A quick glance back in the darkened apartment, told Alan why visiting family right now would be a very, big mistake.
"It burned out and I don't have a spare lightbulb." Alan said, again a little too quickly. This is how the last few phone calls had been. Hushed, hurried, performed in secret and under the cover of darkness. Lest his family find out and force him to give up all that he had here and move back home to be coddled. Alan had already tried leaving once and it almost ended badly. His girlfriend had caught on too, forcing Alan to break up with her to prevent her from calling his family or worse the police.
"So why don't you take the phone call inside and talk to me from in there? It's got to be cold outside. What is it almost twelve degrees outside?" Virgil inquired, making Alan suck in a deep breath which was another mistake. Taking in such a deep breath made his ribs hurt and made him start coughing. Virgil picked up something and he waited for Alan's coughing to subside. "Are you okay?"
"I will be." Alan said, for probably the ten-thousandth time in the last couple hours. He didn't count on Virgil to see through his falsehoods though.
"Al, it's okay. You can tell me." Virgil said catching Alan off guard. The young man had unknowingly glanced back at the sliding glass door and caught a glimpse of his face in the moonlit window. Half of his face was obscured by the darkened living room, hiding what Alan didn't want to acknowledge. "I know you're beating around the bush. You've never been good at lying to me."
"W-What are you talking about?" Alan asked, shocked that the one brother that Alan hadn't counted on being able to assemble the puzzle pieces in less than the time it takes to finish a phone call.
"Al, you forget that I know you. I know what makes you tick, and I know that you make excuses the way you have been are one of your tells that something is wrong. So, tell me what's wrong. You won't call us during normal hours and when you do, you're always by yourself. On top of that you've cancelled the last three trips to come see us quite abruptly and when you do call any of us, you won't video chat with us. I know something is wrong, so just spill it. Please." Virgil said knowing that being blunt with Alan probably wasn't the best. But he was desperate at this point. Nobody in his family had seen Alan in person for almost two years. And every attempt was met with silence.
All the past attempts from Alan's brothers to stop by and visit were usually unfulfilled. Alan never opened his apartment door, claiming later that he was away on business even though his family always had his schedule handy. One time the island's resident aquanaut stopped by in the last month, Gordon had said he could hear Alan and his roommate arguing. The entire thing went on so long that Gordon had left a note asking Alan to call him later which never happened. Alan had failed to call for over three weeks. It was obvious that something was wrong, at least to the household musician and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
"N-Nothing is wrong. I don't know why you think s-" Alan stopped when he thought he heard noise inside the apartment. Hopefully Trevor wasn't awake. Alan really didn't want to deal with his inebriated roommate again so soon after the last.
"This is why Alan. You're acting like a scared baby deer. Are you okay?" Virgil asked, standing from his bed to walk around his bedroom in the late afternoon light. As soon as he'd heard his phone ringing, Virgil had departed the living room where he was watching a movie with Gordon and John to hurry to his room. It was unusual for Alan to call him at such an odd time in the early morning. It was three in the morning in New York, much too early to be awake and too late to place a phone call unless something was wrong. "Please talk to me."
Alan felt like he couldn't talk freely at his apartment. He knew if he left his apartment and Trevor woke up and found Alan to be gone, Alan would be in for it. But hopefully Trevor had had enough to drink that he'd sleep for the next few hours. Taking a chance, Alan silenced his phone volume and he ventured back inside to slip on his sneakers and grab a jacket. He grabbed his key from the hook by the door and he glanced over his shoulder in hopes that he wouldn't be caught. He needed to go out for some air. And hopefully have a heart to heart with the one brother he hoped would understand.
Once outside the apartment, Alan started walking. He put the phone to his ear and started to walk, destination unknown.
"I just don't know anymore Virge. I mean, I don't want to come home, but I miss you guys." Alan said. He kicked at a lonely little pebble with the tip of his toe, watching it roll pitifully ahead with each little kick.
"So, tell me. What is wrong?" Virgil asked, glad that he locked his bedroom door. He knew if Alan was going to admit what was wrong, he'd have to be totally alone. Alan couldn't know if any of his other brothers were in the vicinity.
"Things are just difficult right now. With me being unemployed with the off-season of racing. "Alan started before he was interrupted by Virgil.
"You're doing it again. Quit making excuses and tell me. You have my word that I am alone, and your secret is safe with me." Virgil said cutting to the chase.
"Virgil…I c-" Alan started to say before Virgil once again cut him off.
"Don't you dare say 'you can't'. Trust me, I would never lie to you. Whatever you tell me will be safe with me. I'll take whatever you tell me to my grave if I have to. But trust me and tell me what's going on. Why have you been so distant from us, why won't you talk to us and why is it that when we call, your roommate decides when you can talk? Is there something going on with you and Trevor?"
"Oh, god no. Nothing like you may be thinking. Trevor and I, we? No. No, no." Alan instantly making a 'yuck' face at the idea of he and Trevor. He liked girls, as did Trevor. Once the ridiculous thought passed by, Alan decided he'd better answer Virgil's questions. To hell with him keeping his apartment. All he wanted was to get away from Trevor. He'd had enough and was ready to go back home. "Virgil, I want to come home."
"Is everything okay Alan? Why the sudden change of heart?" Virgil inquired detecting a change in Alan that he didn't exactly feel was right.
"Nothing is okay. I'm not okay. Trevor, he hits me sometimes. Makes it hard for me to leave the apartment because of the bruising." Alan said, feeling like there was something wrong with him for not being able to stand up to his roommate. Everything had previously been good. Trevor and he had met on the racing circuit, being part of the same sponsor team and both thought it'd be a good idea to get an apartment together and do their own thing.
The only thing that Alan hadn't thought of was how different he and Trevor were. Alan didn't mind sitting out the partying in place of staying home with a good book or a movie and a bowl of popcorn. Trevor on the other hand loved the party scene and he'd often drag Alan out to a bar or some other dive to go have a good time. And usually that good time became a bad time if Alan acted like a cockblock or a girl Trevor was flirting with turned him down. Then Trevor would drag Alan back to the apartment and continue drinking until he couldn't see straight and then if Alan made noise or disturbed Trevor's drinking in some way, Trevor would get intensely angry. And often Alan would become his punching bag. For two years, Alan has been enduring physical and not to mention emotional abuse from Trevor. It was taking a toll on Alan and he was done.
"I…I'm worried that it's going to get worse before it gets better. I haven't been video chatting because I don't want any of you to see the bruising on my face." Alan started before he took as deep a breath as he dared before continuing on. "I've been forced to cancel all my last trips because right before I go, Trevor gets upset at me and he beats me so bad that I can't even fathom moving an inch. How would that look to everyone on the outside?"
Virgil was quiet for a moment and for a split second Alan feared that Virgil had hung up on him, but truthfully if the younger could see his older brother he'd know how angry Virgil was currently. He never took kindly to the idea of abuse and to hear that his baby brother was enduring abuse of the next to worse kind made him practically vibrate with absolute rage. He struggled to reign in his fury before forming his plea.
"Alan, do me a favor and bring up your video feed. I need to take a look at you and don't you dare feed me excuses that you can't. Bruised or not, I love you and I won't tolerate this going any further." Virgil said before he watched his screen with a gaze filled with ferocity like the bloodlust of a predator watching his next meal. The screen changed, to show that Alan was switching call types until the screen changed to show darkness. Virgil couldn't see Alan until he turned on the backlit view which illuminated his face, showing Virgil just how bruised he was.
It wasn't a simple black eye, not like one would get from a fist fight. Alan had bruising all over his face, his neck had finger marks where it was apparent that Trevor had tried choking him. Alan had a split lip, both eyes had dark shiners around them, his right eye had what appeared to be a bleed in the white of his eye and Alan's nose was swollen. It went against Virgil's every being, but he took a brief screen shot of Alan from his phone so he'd have documentation if Trevor tried to take things further. Just seeing the bruising he could see made Virgil's heart break that Alan had kept this hidden for two years and he wondered if Trevor had done more damage that nobody could see.
"Alan, I don't care what you may say. But I'm going to go tell dad that I am leaving to come to you and when I get there, I'm going to help you pack your shit so you can leave. The sooner the better. I fear that Trevor is going to hasten you're need to leave because if he finds out you're leaving he could do more than just beat you. I fear for your safety." Virgil said as he walked around his room to grab his wallet and slip on his tennis shoes. "Scratch that, I wouldn't even worry about your personal effects. Just grab what you most value and go. I'll be there as quick as I can, but don't go back unless you absolutely have to."
"I have to go back to grab what I most value, I've got my little safe I keep hidden with my money and pictures of you all and mom. I don't want to lose those. I'll be okay as long as I know you're on your way." Alan said, smiling for probably the first time in two years. It felt so liberating to finally tell someone the torture he's been dealing with.
"Promise that if Trevor wakes up, you'll keep out of his way. I don't want anymore harm to come to you if at all possible. And may I have your permission to bring the guys? They're already going to croak when I bring you home and they see the bruising on your face, so might as well preface them with why you're covered in bruises. Scott's already going to want to go hunt Trevor down with a rocket launcher." Virgil said hoping to get Alan's blessing.
"Yes, I guess you can tell them. They're going to find out anyway. And how do you know Trevor's sleeping?" Alan asked, surprised that Virgil would think to want to include their brothers. Of course, the brothers always considered themselves a packaged deal.
"It's four in the morning there Alan, it's a normal time for everyone including you to be asleep." Virgil said with a sad but knowing smile.
"Unfortunately, I no longer have regular sleep cycles." Alan said. He knew that it'd be hard to adapt back to a normal life, but he was tired of wondering when Trevor was going to go further than just beating or kicking him. Already his roommate had tried choking him, he'd only stopped when Alan quit fighting him and it seemed to ruin Trevor's fun. "I sleep when Trevor is gone to his day job. Usually I work nights, but my boss has me on leave until these heal."
"So, your boss knows about Trevor?" Virgil inquired, angry that someone who may know the situation Alan was in wouldn't step in to help him.
"He didn't ask how I got the bruises, he just said that they were unsightly and made the company look bad so he ordered I stay home until either the bruises heal or fade enough that I can cover them with makeup." Alan said but his statement still made Virgil wonder.
"Wait, you work a night job?" Virgil asked, instantly alert because their dad had told Alan that in the off-season, he could work for Tracy enterprises and keep a running paycheck with the family company. "What about the job for Tracy enterprises?"
"Trevor made me miss work so often that they let me go." Alan said, his face giving a throb when he spoke making Alan wince.
"They let you go. But you're the boss's kid, do they realize they can't fire you?" Virgil asked, his voice raising slightly at the knowledge that Alan had been fired because of Trevor and Virgil knew that he was going to tell their dad without a doubt about that and their dad could rain fire and brimstone on those in charge of firing Jefferson Tracy's youngest son. All the brothers worked for the company, how had they not noticed their brother's absence from the company?
"I didn't fight it though. I mean how am I supposed to show up to work with my face covered in these?" Alan asked as he gestured to his face.
"Well, soon you'll be away from there and back home with us. Just you wait. Where is the closest motel to your apartment? I'll call them and pay for a room for you to go to and you'll wait for me and the guys to get there before you return to the apartment…okay? Do you understand?" Virgil asked, desperation thick in his voice. "I don't want you to go back to the apartment where Trevor could do more than just hurt you."
"Virgil, I'll be fine. If I return now I can be there before Trevor wakes up and he won't know you're on your way because I'll be sleeping when he gets ready for work. I've survived two years of this, trust me. I'll be fine." Alan said to which he could see Virgil fervently shaking his head in disagreement.
"No Alan. I want you to go stay at the motel I pay for, then when we go back for your things if Trevor is still there, we can protect you!" Virgil argued, to which Alan shook his head sadly.
"If I go to a motel and I'm not there when Trevor wakes up, he won't go to work and he'll be waiting there when we get there and then all of us will be in danger. I have to go back. I don't want to put you all in danger because I stayed hidden with my tail tucked between my legs. I'm going back, it's better for us." Alan said before he visibly turned to start going back.
"I can see I'm not going to win this, but you better promise me that you'll be safe. If I find that Trevor has harmed you further when I get there, I can't promise that he'll survive." Virgil said before he went to leave his bedroom. It was pointless to keep their phone call private any longer, their family was going to soon find out as soon as they look at Alan's face.
"I understand Virge, thank you for helping me." Alan said smiling again for probably the second official time in two years.
"I love you kiddo, I'll be there soon. Hang tight." Virgil said before he and Alan hung up the call. Virgil didn't waste any time though and he picked up his pace. He needed to go tell their father that he was taking the jet and he dreaded having to tell his father and brothers that Alan needed to return home for his safety.