Chapter 2: a crack that blossoms in the wamth
When Isaac gets woken up the next morning by his alarm , he is bone deep tired, he grabs his phone and shuts the alarm up. While doing so he sees that he has a new notification from buck 'you should really work on your sleep schedule' . with a groan he flops back into his cushion, not wanting to stand up but after a few more minutes of questioning his life choices he finally pulls his legs out of bed and the rest of his body follows and god does his torso hurt.
When he starts to dress himself he makes a quick look into the mirror he can see a dark bruise forming there with a slow motion he slightly strokes over the bruised skin with his fingers and winces. Its not surprising but really annoying, the mark in his face is at least mostly gone only the mark where the ring from his mother hit him is still visible, he debates with himself if he should cover it up but ultimately decides against doing so. Most of his teachers wont care and the other think he is some kind of delinquent so fist fights aren't so far off and there aren't really wrong he did have some fights with other students but mostly if they were assholes. So he figures its not the effort worth of applying make up.
He turns away from the mirror to grab a dark hoodie and a blue jeans and walks into the bathroom afterwards he makes a silent walk downstairs to the kitchen and makes himself a cup of coffee and a toast the only thing he is allowed to make in this household because he could potentially put the house on fire if he would go near the stove, he thinks thats crap they only don't want him to cook so they can better control how much he eats of there food. He fills the coffee in a thermos cup and walk out of the house to walk to school.
Slumping into his seat of his desk and pulls out his stuff for biology, one of the few subjects he honestly likes and is good in. After a few more minutes and the rest of the students walk in and the teacher, she is a kind of strict woman but at least fair and doesn't hate, him so he prepares himself for the lesson and a long boring day.
Even though he had the homework for all his classes he couldn't turn them inn in every subject because he slept through them and it will probably happen again, like common who is even interested in English grammar? He was in his last lesson for the day when his art teacher who for some reason liked him, probably because he was one of the only student who liked to draw and didn't treated this class as waste of time, walked over to him. Isaac was drawing on his project for the midterms the theme was 'hero' he was doing superman and he was currently working on the face when he saw the teachers shadow next to him, his grip on the pencil tightens and he looked up " is something teach?" He ask as if he wasn't nearly breaking the poor pencil. The teacher smiled at him and pointed at his cheek. " did you get into a fight again isaac? I thought you where done with that after our last talk." They question and doesn't that sum up what other people think of him, he will always be the problem, did they ever thought that maybe he didn't always start those fights. "Don't worry, it wasn't someone from school so you don't have to worry about some angry parents " he says emotionless. The last time he spoke with her about a fight, a group of three boys from his grade tried to beat him up but he defended himself pretty good so afterwards they told the teacher that he started it and who would they believe a trouble maker or the three teenagers with there parents. He got suspended for one week and the two folling weeks he had to stay with her in the breaks. "That isn't the thing im worried about, im worried that you will go down the wrong path if you don't stop this behaviour " isaac doesn't really listen to hear anymore, she is only one of the long list of people he will always disappoint. So Isaac just shrugs with his shoulders not knowing what else to say to a person who already made his mind up about him. The teacher sighs and walks away with a shake of her head. Isaac watches her as she walks over to another student helping her with her project. Isaac looks down at his project and suddenly doesn't have the motivation to to draw anymore.
Finally the bell rings so he can leave this room, he walks down the corridors and try's not to bump into anyone when he reaches the doors he pushes them open and it feels as if he can breath again.
Just as he wanted to begin his walk home he notice a jeep that he knows very well and when a person steps out of the car he is sure, a smile breaks out on bis face and he jogs over to him
" hey buck! What are you doing here?" Isaac ask while Buck pulls him into a hug to great him. "I had a day off of and thought i visit you and help you with the bike" Buck explains and Isaac feels happy but also dread from facing there parents, especially because of what happens yesterday when now buck mysteriously walks in with him. they would think he try's to manipulate buck. "What got you so sour all of sudden, don't want to hang out with your favourite brother?" Buck teased and isaac just shakes his head "buck, your my only brother and no im just hungry" he lies. " do mom and dad know your coming?" He ask and hopes it comes of as an innocent question. Both of them move into the car mid conversation and buck answers him "yeah i texted them, they had a meeting that came up so they aren't home, how about McDonald's for your lunch ." Isaac lets out a sigh of relief with bucks explanation "yeah sounds great " he answers with a cheerful voice. And it does because maybe he can convince buck that he can have a whole burger.
"So how was school? " buck ask while driving and really Isaac wouldn't say great but he had worse days so he settles on "it was okay" he watches from the corner of his eye how buck nods. He fiddles with the hem of his hoodie and thinks about a question he can ask his brother before he ask him more about his life. "Soo did you had any cool rescues since the last time we saw each other?" He watches Buck drum his fingers on the steering wheel before answering him, "not exactly but something else" buck says and in a voice that Isaacs finds oddly suspicious. "What does that suppose to mean?" Isaac asks
"ok but you aren't allowed to tell maddie or our parents " and that makes Isaac even more suspicious, not that he would tell their parents anything but maddie? "Promise, What did you do ?" Isaac asks humorously.
"Chimney wants to propose to her" buck rushes out and Isaac brain doesn't work that Fast. His mouth haning open for a few second before he can answer again " what, really!?" He ask with an existing voice, he only saw chimney a handful of times when he visited Maddie and her daughter but he was always really nice, the complete opposite to the asshole that was dough. Buck chuckles at Isaacs reaction "yeah really, but don't tell anybody that would ruin the surprise" "obviously " he promised and just now they where rolling into the parking space from the Macdonalds. Both of them exit the car and as they walk to the door Buck lays an arm around Isaac shoulders "so what do you want to eat?"
Buck let him indeed order a whole burger with fries, he doesn't think he had anything greater than that today but he just had to celebrate to early. He's was biting in his chicken burger which was delicious by the way when buck looked at him and pointed with his hand on his own cheek. "What happened? That looks fresh" Isaac stopped chewing for a second and slowly swallowed. Ok just not panicking he just has to tell him the same lie like everyone else. "Uh had a fight with someone " he lies and to not look Buck in the eyes he grabs some fries and puts them into his mouth. He can feel his heart beating miles a minute and just prays that Buck buys the excuse.
"Ok, but are you ok, like hurt anywhere else? " buck ask, Isaacs eyes shot up to buck and he would say that Buck sounds worried. " yeah, yeah im fine. Fight didn't last long and we kind of went our separate ways ways"
buck sighs and Isaac can see Buck, watching him. "So why did the fight happend?" And Isaac has to say he wasn't prepared for that question, normally everyone just assumes he is an asshole that punches everyone so he never really had to give an reasonable explanation which is why in his opinion he isnt really at fault for saying the next thing. "Because im gay?" And its not that this is not true but he thinks he is more bisexual but he never ever told anyone about it, his life is already complicated enough. And now he has broken his Brother great, because Buck doesn't say's anything and Isaac really start getting nervous even though he knows that buck has friend who are queer but what if and before he can spiral any further he looks up to buck again, when did he lowered his head? "Thats great. I mean not that you have to fight but you know that you like guys and everything" Isaac can feel relief wash over him while Buck rambles off about it after taking a deep breath he corrects his mistake "actually im more like bisexual, i think." And in an instant buck shuts up and listens to him and he doesn't quiet know how to feel about that, that someone just listens to what he actually says and not just assume thinks about him. "so you like both girls and guys?" Buck ask and Isaac nods "yeah" buck smiles at him and say's" cool im proud of you for telling me." A warm feeling settles in his whole buddy and its not because of the burger.
After some more minutes of buck telling him Storys about Christopher, Eddies son, and how showing him pictures of the two visiting an arcade center they leave and drive to their parents house. Buck told him that their parents aren't home but he still doesn't feel comfortable as he puts his keys into the lock.
As he opens the door there is indeed no one home. Inside he lets out a sigh of relief and ledes buck in the garage where his broken bikes lays.
"I still have an hour before i have to head back, so lets fix this thing right up " buck says and Isaac really has to hold a flinch back when buck pats him on the back. He forces a smile out and answers with "yeah, then i don't have to walk anymore."
They turn his bike around and buck helps him to put the chain in the right place again but the real problem is that his break at the front came lose and know it just dangles there. They work pretty much in silents an buck just explains something here and there or tells him some fact about a tool he needs, its really relaxing and before he knows it there finished and buck stands up "here try it out" isaac nods and swings on his bike, he rides around in there garage everything is working again. With a big smile he puts the bike away and thanks his brother who only answers him with "always kid"
Isaac watches buck look on his phone to see the clock and looks at him with a sad smile "sorry i have to drive back" buck explains and isaac feels sad he knows that this moments only ever last for a few hours but he really wished he could have more of this peaceful moments with his siblings. "Yeah, i know" isaac says and walks with Buck to his jeep, "you know your always welcome hat my place?" Buck say's and he nods, its not like he will ever accept that offer, buck invited him over a few times already, to show him the firehouse or just to chill but he never really felt comfortable doing so, maybe he had bruised over his body most of the time or he just didn't want to be a disappointment to all those people that Buck liked at the 118, that where like a family to him but it would never be a place where he belongs, he doesn't belong anywhere. " yeah" he finally answers and they hug each other goodbye and isaac watches as Buck drove off.