It was march… only a few more months until graduation. Things have been good for Wriothesley. His friends hung out with him almost every weekend. He was getting marks in the 90's in all of his classes. He was on track to graduate in the top 30 of his class. He never expected any of this when he got out of prison. His friends helped him conquer a lot of his demons and even better none of them knew of who he truly was… yet.
It was a Friday morning. Clorinde and Wriothesley had walked into school like normal but it seemed like there was a huge crowd in the entryway, circling around the bulletin board. She opened the door, confused at the crowd. But as soon as Wriothesley walked in, the crowd turned.
"There he is!" A kid screamed. "The murderer!" It was that second that Wriothesley's world froze. Everything happened in slow motion from there.
The crowd of students surrounded him with multiple printouts of his criminal record. It had his mugshot from a week before his release, his crimes, his time spent in prison and more. They knew… the cat was out of the bag.
"Will you all stop that! How did you get these?!" Navia was yelling as she was going through the crowd. She was trying to snatch any of the papers she could from the students. They were chanting murderer and surrounding Wriothesley at the entrance. He was shaking. His knees felt like jello and he felt nauseous. His secret… his past… it's all out of the bag. The whole school knew…
His nightmare got worse when he saw Neuvillette in the crowd. He was doing the same as Navia, snatching papers from students and trying to disperse the crowd. Clorinde was in front of Wriothesley blocking him, telling students to back up as they got closer. What brought Wriothesley back into reality was someone shoving Clorinde to get to Wriothesley. She let out a soft cry as she was pushed to the ground and the crowd engulfed her friend, no, her brother.
"NO LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She yelled from the floor before someone pulled her away. A group of football players approached Wriothesley and unleashed a barrage of punches on the frozen man. Wriothesley took every single punch without a flinch. His mind was in overdrive, unable to think or do anything of use. He needed to help Clorinde. He looked over and she was gone, causing him to panic more.
"Will you stop!" A shrill female voice yelled. Wriothesley snapped out of it when the football players left his sight. Who moved them? He looked down and realized it was Furina, who was now blocking him in Clorinde's place. He felt something warm on his face. He wiped it off to realize he was bleeding. He had a bloody nose and lip from one of the punches. He hardly felt it. Navia soon joined Furina in blocking Wriothesley, then Clorinde joined.
"How DARE you assault a student!" Furina yelled.
"You don't know his story! You can't base these things on a stupid paper that could be fake!" Navia defended.
"Get away from him!" Clorinde called out.
"Get to class! All of you before I start taking photos of the crowd and writing suspension requests to the principal." Neuvillette's voice boomed over the crowd. Wriothesley's panic returned tenfold. His friend knew… his best friend knew… his crush knew who he was. A felon… a murderer.
Wriothesley turned and ran out of the school. He didn't know where he was going, but he needed to go. He would run away until he couldn't run anymore. Clorinde's house isn't safe. People knew where he lived. How in the hell would he recover from this? How would he return to normal after everyone… knew…
There was a mob forming at school and soon angry parents joined in, upset that their children were sitting next to a felon out of prison. The school had to shut down for the rest of the day and was holding a press conference the next day for answers to the angry students and parents.
"Clorinde…" Neuvillette gently pulled her aside and Navia joined, after the school was closed down. "Where did he go?"
"I have a tracker on my phone… we'll find him." She pulled out her phone and started the app.
"Clorinde did you know?" Navia asked softly. "Is… is it true?"
"Yes and yes. He was released three months prior to him starting school. But his situation isn't what you think. Please don't hate him. Please… listen to his story." Clorinde admitted.
"I could never hate him!" Navia cried. "I want to help!"
"Seconded." Neuvillette nodded.
"Then I have a request." Clorinde said. "Neuvillette… he's at the fountain on the edge of town. Please go talk to him and bring him back from the edge. He's going to be raw and fragile but you need to be the one to speak to him. Navia, please come with me to the house and get it ready with me. He's going to need all of us. When you're done, Neuvillette bring him home."
The group split apart and headed to their assigned destinations. Neuvillette saw his friend sitting under a tree near the fountain. There wasn't a person in sight. It was peaceful and calm there.
"Did Clorinde send you?" Wriothesley asked.
"Yes and no. I offered to come and she agreed." He said calmly, sitting beside the other man. Neuvillette handed him a handkerchief to wash off the blood on his face.
"It is true…" Wriothesley said, wiping the blood from his nose and lips. "I am a murderer…"
"I think there is more to the story than that." Neuvillette smiled softly. "Please let me hear your story…"
"Buckle up pal…" Wriothesley gave a small laugh before stiffening up. "I…I was born into a really shitty family. My parents never wanted kids. We were more of a burden than anything until we were around age 3. To make a long story short, my sister and I were tortured… abused… assaulted for money. My parents let the highest bidders touch us in any way they felt." Wriothesley rubbed his arms, beginning to curl into himself. "My scars… a lot of them are from my parents… customers… but sometimes they just got mad and hurt us. The large one on my chest is from when I was 9. They… they tried to cut my heart out. Got pretty far too before my sister stopped them but she had her own torture to endure from that."
"Wriothesley…" Neuvillette didn't know what to do or say. He just gently took his friend's hand to show it was going to be okay.
"Because she tried to stop me, they…" He took a deep breath. "They sold her to the highest bidder. She got sold into human trafficking because she saved my life." Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I was next. But I wasn't getting sold like that. I…I was getting sold to be killed. The highest bidder was going to kill me any way they saw fit." He closed his eyes at the memories, trying to push down the flashbacks coming on. "I had to stop them. They wouldn't stop after me. They had already applied to be foster parents and passed the home inspection."
Wriothesley took a deep breath, trying his best not to panic. "So… the day before I was to be auctioned off… I picked the lock on the gun cabinet in the basement." He hesitated for a moment. "I shot them both while they slept. Dad first… mom second… one shot each to the head. It was instant. I called the police two minutes after the second shot. I got arrested of course but was taken to the hospital first. They documented my severe abuse. Shit i had a broken femur when I was arrested by them. To this day I have several bones that never healed right from neglect. I cooperated with the police and told my story. I told them about my sister who had disappeared shortly beforehand. I accepted a plea deal… 10 to 15 years for my crimes with a chance of parole after 7 years. Which is what I served. I have to check in with a parole officer every Monday and I get surprise drug tests often and one slip up I can go right back into the slammer."
Wriothesley looked over at Neuvillette who was crying slightly at his friend's story. He wiped the tears away slowly. He knew the story was as challenging to hear as it was to tell. But he had aired all of his dirty laundry. It felt good if he was honest. Like a weight had been lifted from his chest.
"I understand if youre scared of me… fuck i understand if you hate me. I never understood why Clorinde stuck around after. I am after all a murderer… I have blood on my hands that no one can wash off. I spend every day regretting my life choices. I wish I knew where Marina was… I wish I could have saved her. I wish…" Wriothesley looked away from Neuvillette. "I wish I would have eaten that shotgun shell myself instead of them. It would have been easier than this burden."
"Absolutely not!" Neuvillette yelled suddenly, alarming Wriothesley. Neuvillette adjusted himself so he was directly in front of the other male. "Never think that. Please… you're meant to be here. You're meant to find your sister. You're meant to be here with Clorinde and Navia and… and me." Tears ran down Neuvillettes cheeks. "Wriothesley I cannot even begin to imagine the pain and suffering you've endured for years, well, your entire life. But youre here! You survived and I'm so proud of you for that. I could never be scared or hate you. You were a CHILD! You should have never had to make those decisions for yourself! They should have protected you and loved you yet…" He trailed off. He leaned his head on Wriothesley's shoulders and hugged him.
Wriothesley didn't know what to think. His friend wasn't scared of him… he got so upset from the situation. He said he was meant to live. He said he was proud of him… of him!
"Neuvillette…" Wriothesley knew this was his chance. He was vulnerable and felt all of his emotions at once. "Neuvillette I love you." He said softly, hugging his friend back. "Not in a friend way… I'm IN love with you. Every time I see you my breath hitches. I want to spend the rest of my life with you… you make me the happiest i've ever felt. My life is complete with you–"
He was cut off when Neuvillette pulled away from his shoulder and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Wriothesley moaned in surprise but closed his eyes, leaning into it. He pulled Neuvillette into his lap and held him close. This… this is what he's been waiting for since the beach. Neuvillette was the first to pull away, just slightly.
"I love you." Neuvillette said softly. "I could never be afraid… I want to be the one to help you through this. I want to be the one you lean on. I want to be your partner. I've… never dated anyone before. So please bear with me."
"Don't worry… we can go slow and navigate this together. My dating experience is from prison so I'm not in a better boat truly." Wriothesley kissed him again softly. "Thank you for listening. Thank you for not running off and… thank you for loving me."
The two sat under the tree for a little while they digested their emotions and the newfound love from their confessions. Neuvillette stood up first and helped the other man up. They began the slow walk back to Clorinde's house. Wriothesley still didn't feel right. The whole town knew his secret at this point. He also had other friends to repeat the story to. The flashbacks would definitely be strong the next few days.
Navia and Clorinde were sitting on the porch when they two arrived. They both jumped up and hugged the dark haired man tight. Clorinde immediately started inspecting him for further injuries. After all, 5 or 6 athletes punching him at full force. It was then that she noticed the two men holding hands.
"Oh? What happened out there between you two?" Clorinde smiled fondly. The two blushed heavily at the comment but not out of embarrassment. It felt like a dream to both of them truly.
"WAIT REALLY!?" Navia gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth before jumping up in the air, cheering happily. "YEEESSSS! I'VE BEEN ROOTING FOR YOU TWO SINCE THE THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL! Oh there's so much to do! Which one of you is wearing the wedding dress? Hey-!" Clorinde stole Navia's hat from her.
"Don't assume they want to wear a dress and clearly it's Neuvill—" She got cut off by Wriothesley.
"We just said I love you. Can we have a few minutes before wedding planning? There's also a lot bigger issues at this time. You know? Like the whole school knowing I'm a felon." Wriothesley sighed. Neuvillette squeezed his hand.
"Why don't we head inside and discuss a plan of action. Also Navia, I will be wearing a suit not a dress." Neuvillette chuckled lowly before leading the group inside. They sat around the kitchen island.
"Wriothesley… you don't need to explain everything to me again." Navia started. "Clorinde gave me the highlights knowing you'd tell everything to Neuvillette. I just want to say one thing. You are my dear friend and none of your past will change that. Now…" she passed the conversation to Clorinde.
"After you left, a small riot broke out at school. Parents and students are demanding your expulsion from school and they're holding a press conference tomorrow." Clorinde sighed. "I know it's not ideal but i do think it would be very impactful if you told your story Wrio."
"It would be a good idea. On paper, yes, your crimes sound scary. But in reality you did what you needed to survive. I just can't believe no teacher reported them when you showed up to elementary school with cigarette burns." Navia sighed. "They are the ones who deserved to do your time in prison, not you."
"Things were different back then. Most assumed I was just a rough kid and did it to myself on the farm. Clorinde was the only one who realized something was wrong and I needed a friend. They didn't do what I did Navia. I appreciate what you're saying but no one deserved to do the time in prison but me. I am the one who took two lives. It doesn't matter the circumstance. But I did my time and I am on the other side of it." Wriothesley said.
"May I ask something?" Neuvillette asked. The other nodded in approval. All his dirty laundry was on the line anyway… may as well answer questions so the people who were helping him knew. "Do you know what happened to your sister? Did anything come from the police investigation?"
"No. Nothing ever came of it." Wriothesley said sadly. "Clorinde's family spent a lot of money on private investigators trying to find her but to no avail."
"The only lead we ever found was a sighting of a similar looking girl in Sumeru about 4 years after everything happened. But we never heard any follow up I'm afraid." Clorinde reported. "After high school, my plan is to go into the police academy and become a detective to find her. Wriothesley is the same."
"Yeah… I have to wait a while until I'm off of probation. I cannot be accepted into the academy with this on my record." Wriothesley sighed. "I just hope she's alive and okay… I hope she isn't in as much pain as she was when we were kids. She's 3 years older than me so she is 21 now. I think about her every single day."
"So about tomorrow's press conference." Navia sighed. "Wriothesley do you think you'll be able to go up on stage in front of everyone?"
"That's a good question. I don't think I have much choice in this situation." Wriothesley grimaced at the idea.
"Would it help if I was up there with you?" Neuvillette offered.
"Well it would… but I don't want to ruin your good name in the process." Wriothesley would love for his partner to be beside him on that stage but he knew it would spell bad luck for the other.
"I do not care about trivial things like that. I want to help." Neuvillette reassured.
"And we'll be at the end waiting for you and keeping the crowd under control! Furina also offered to be there." Navia smiled. "There's no need to push us away anymore. Let us be there for you!" Clorinde and Neuvillette nodded in agreement.
"I will do my best." Wriothesley gave a small smile. He never would have imagined his friends would stay when they learned the truth. He never imagined Neuvillette would reciprocate his feelings. The nightmare that day had started out as turned out to be a decent day after all.
Wriothesley retreated to his room, Neuvillette not far behind. The day had gone fast once the crew began preparations for the press conference in the morning. It was almost 9pm and Wriothesley was simply exhausted from the events today. He flopped down on the bed and sighed. Neuvillette gently sat on the side of the bed next to him.
"I know this may be blunt…" Neuvillette started out. "But I am worried about you spending tonight alone."
"Yeah I am as well. I am definitely going to have flashback nightmares." Wriothesley sighed.
"Would you like to spend the night with me? We can stay here or go to my house. My parents are on a cruise so they are not home." Neuvillette asked, cheeks pink.
"That would be incredible." Wriothesley smiled warmly. "But you're not going to get much sleep. Not in a fun way yet either." He winked at his boyfriend, causing him to turn bright red.
"Well we can explore that fun option at a later time." Neuvillette murmured with pink cheeks. "Would you like to stay here or come to my house?"
"Would it be okay if we stayed here? You can borrow some of my pajamas if you'd like. I actually think you left some spare clothes last time you stayed over." Wriothesley pointed to the drawer where he kept his pajama pants for Neuvillette who gladly accepted.
"Here sounds comfortable. And I did yes. It was by mistake but it turned out to be a good thing after all." Neuvillette chuckled. He took a pair of pajama pants and settled for sleeping in his undershirt. He stepped into the bathroom across the hall to change. He smiled fondly at the afternoon events. He couldn't believe Wriothesley really felt the same about him. It felt too good to be true. He finished changing and getting ready for bed, returning to Wriothesley's room.
Wriothesley was shirtless when he returned to the room. He was sitting on the edge of the bed fumbling with a shirt. The sight made Neuvillette blush. It was his first time seeing him full shirtless in comfort, not by force like in gym class. His partner was so muscular and handsome. He could see past the scars to the beauty underneath. Neuvillette sat on the bed behind him and ran a hand down his tattooed back. The other man tensed a bit in surprise but relaxed when Neuvillette laid a kiss on the back of his neck.
"You startled me a bit." Wriothesley chuckled. Neuvillette hugged him from behind and leaned his head over his shoulder.
"Is this alright?" Neuvillette asked. He knew Wriothesley had issues with touch. He should have asked before he did it.
"Of course it is." the dark haired man smiled. "You can touch me whenever and wherever you'd like. I told you… I trust you."
Neuvillette wrapped his hands around the front of him and hummed in contentment. "I am so glad you trust me like that, Wriothesley. I don't know how to explain it but it feels good to hear."
"I understand how you feel. But maybe we could lay down? I've had an exhausting day." Wriothesley offered. Neuvillette let go of his boyfriend and laid down on the bed, Wriothesley settling next to him. "That doesn't mean you have to stay away now." He laughed as he pulled Neuvillette close to his chest. He was still shirtless, never getting the chance to put on the shirt.
"May I lay here a while?" Neuvillette asked softly, laying on Wriothesley's thick chest.
"You can sleep there." Wriothesley smiled, stroking Neuvillette's arm softly and holding him close. Neuvillette fell asleep listening to Wriothesley's gentle breathing. Sleep however eluded Wriothesley a majority of the night. He had too much on his mind about the next morning to sleep.
7am came early for the two men. Wriothesley surprisingly didn't have any night terrors. He only had a few hours of sleep but enough to get through today. Wriothesley got ready for the event today, putting on a nice shirt and a blazer. The whole town would be watching this press conference on tv. He needed to make the best impression he could.
Wriothesley stared at himself in the mirror as he finished putting in his earrings. It had been so long since he wore them, settling for clear ones after he got released. He wanted to blend in as much as he could but now it truly didn't matter. Maybe he could talk after to Neuvillette about how he felt about piercings before he put the rest of them back.
Speaking of Neuvillette… he knocked on the door to the bedroom at that moment. He wanted to check on how he was doing, the press conference arriving fast. He noticed quickly the change in Wriothesley's appearance.
"I had no idea you had ear piercings." He blinked. "They look really good on you."
"Thanks." Wriothesley smiled. "I used retainers for a long time to appear average. But with the cat out of the bag, I figure what does it hurt. Do you like piercings?"
Neuvillette blushed and mumbled a yes.
"Well I have good news for you then." Wriothesley laughed. "I have lots more… I just took them out for a while. I usually wear them at night to avoid irritation or closing."
"What… other ones… do you have?" Neuvillette asked quietly.
"Let's see… I have 3 in each ear, my tongue, nipples, and nose. I had my belly button but I let that close a long time ago. My cellmate did it one night in my sleep without my permission. That was a way to wake up." Wriothesley explained.
"They… pierced you… while you slept?" Neuvillette has no idea how to wrap his head around that. "I love you no matter what. If you'd like to put those piercings back I think it would be amazing."
"I'm glad you approve." Wriothesley winked at his partner. "And yeah. He wasn't a great cellmate. He got moved after that little stunt. I wasn't super fond of how it looked but I'd be willing to give it another try if you'd like."
"As much as i love this conversion and you are just full of surprises now… we need to head to the school." Neuvillette coughed a bit, looking away. "You look very handsome Wrio."
"Thank you." Wriothesley kissed Neuvillette softly. "You do as well, Neuvi."
Clorinde and Navia were downstairs waiting for the others. Clorinde did the honor of driving them to the school where a large crowd had already gathered. There were news crews from all over the city waiting for Wriothesley to come tell his story. The vice principal met them at the walk way when they arrived. She briefed the crew about what was happening and Clorinde explained their plan of action. After the huddle, the press conference began.
"Thank you for gathering here today. We have called this press conference in regards to events that happened yesterday on our campus. At 6:15 am, a student came in and posted private criminal records all over the school. By 7am when students were arriving, chaos broke loose over these very personal records of a student. Students and parents are demanding the expulsion of a student for their past. Today, we would like the victim in this situation to tell his side of the story." The vice principal set the stage for Wriothesley.
He approached the stand. His anxiety was high. There were so many people glaring at him and he didn't even blame him. He cleared his throat but the words didn't come. He looked around to find his friends right behind him on the stand and his boyfriend walking up behind him.
"It's ok Wriothesley. We are all here. You can do this." He whispered in his ear, encouraging the male to speak.
"Good morning." Wriothesley started. "My name is Wriothesley. I'm not sure how to begin this. Yesterday, it was my criminal history that was unrightfully discovered and posted all over the school. As a result, I was assaulted by half the football team and the majority of the school shunned me away. I do not necessarily blame them as my criminal history is true. I was in prison for 7 years of my life. The story I am about to tell you is graphic but it is time it is told properly, by me." It was at this time he pulled his blazer off to show his very scarred arms, small gasps coming from the crowd.
"A majority of my life I was nothing more than a dollar sign to my parents. They auctioned me and my sister off to the highest bidder for just about anything. Suggestive photos of us ranging from ages 3 to 10. The ability to hurt us. The ability to touch us. We were nothing more than that. If we misbehaved in any way, we got hurt. Mama's method of choice was cigarettes." He gestured to the many small circles on his arms. "It all came to a close when they sold my sister into human trafficking. The last I ever saw her was 7 years ago. As for me… they were going to sell me to be murdered."
Wriothesley paused and shuffled through a file on the podium that Clorinde had prepared. He pulled out a paper that showed an ad from the dark web. It was the page from his auction. It had his photo, a bruised and bloody child with a number of 1.4 million under it.
"The day before the auction ended, I knew what I needed to do. I…" He took a deep breath. "I shot both of my parents in the head before I called the police to turn myself in. The thing is, I didn't go straight to the police station. I was hospitalized for 2 weeks after and needed two surgeries from the abuse I had endured from those monsters. I was a 10 year old child… every teacher at school turned a blind eye on my condition. The government turned a blind eye as they approved my parents to be foster parents, even though at their home visit I had a black eye and several fresh burn marks. However, I accepted my fate. I was convinced I would die in a prison cell for my actions. My sentencing was 10 to 15 years with a chance of parole after 7, which was a gift I was given. That gift was a new chance at life."
"I have worked hard." Wriothesley paused, pushing down the tears. "I made a normal life here. I made friends. I am passing all of my classes and graduating in the top 30 of the class. While I am indeed a felon, I am not dangerous. I didn't even fight back when 5 guys were punching me relentlessly. I am just doing my best to move on from my troubled past. You all can hate me. You can judge me. You can look away from me whenever you see me out of pity or fear. But please… let me finish my senior year. Let me graduate high school with my friends and partner. I do not deserve to be expelled. Please just let me continue on my path to normalcy. Thank you for your time."
"Before we break for the pto hearing, our student council president Neuvillette would like to say a few words." The vice principal said. Wriothesley whipped around when he heard that. This had not been in the original script.
"Thank you all for listening to Wriothesley's story." Neuvillette said as he walked up to the podium. "I am representing the entire student council at this time. Wriothesley is a dear friend to many here and has never done anything wrong. He has dealt with his injustices with grace and dignity. The student who inappropriately posted his criminal history should be the one under scrutiny right now. It would be like posting the teachers medical records to the school blog. It is unethical. With all of this being said, I'd like to call up the student council members."
At this time, Clorinde stepped forward alongside Navia, Furina and Lynette. They all bowed gracefully to the crowd before Neuvillette stepped back to the podium.
"Student council would like to announce that if you make the decision to expel Wriothesley, then you will be expelling all of us as well." Neuvillette said. The student council stood strong in their decision. Wriothesley couldn't hold back the tears at this point. His friends were willing to risk everything for him. They believed in him that powerfully. Neuvillette stepped in line with the others as they took hands and bowed again, like the curtains falling on a final act of a play. The crowd was silent before erupting into cheers and claps.
The student council excited the stage as the vice principal made her final remarks and set up time for the pto and teachers to vote on Wriothesley's fate. Wriothesley was whisked away by the group who stood up for him. They ended up at their house where they changed the mood of the day to fun and games. Wriothesley had no idea how to thank these people. They were so kind and he felt he didn't deserve it. But he would work hard to repay it.
Wriothesley ended up going to Neuvillette's house to stay the night with the encouragement of Clorinde. He laid in his boyfriend's bed relaxing, thinking about the day's events. He would find out his fate tomorrow morning. He was nervous… but the feelings of anxiety went away as soon as his partner entered the door. He had a smile on his face, one he wasn't used to from Neuvillette.
"What's that smirk for?" Wriothesley chuckled. Neuvillette moved quickly and climbed on top of Wriothesley, kissing him passionately. He didn't expect this from the light haired man but leaned into it, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. Wriothesley flipped the switch fast, being the larger man of the two. Neuvillette's hair fanned on the bed as he was laid down. He moaned into the kiss, licking his partner's bottom lip gently. Wriothesley pulled away a bit.
"Neuvillette." He panted softly. "I love you… are you ok to keep going a little?" the light haired man nodded quickly before Wriothesley dove back into the kiss. He made out with his partner, grinding his hips down against the others. Neuvillette moaned and bucked his hips against the grinding. If what he felt was accurate, Neuvillette's first time may be more intimidating than originally expected.
Wriothesley pulled away slowly and brushed Neuvillette's hair out of his face and kissed his forehead softly. "Was that okay?" Wriothesley asked quietly.
"More than okay." Neuvillette chuckled. "Thank you for taking it slow with me."
"You have no need to thank me. I want you to set the pace." Wriothesley laid in bed next to him and pulled him close. "Thank you for today. You somehow turned one of the scariest moments of my life into an amazing day with friends."
"And I will do it every day from here on out." Neuvillette said, laying on Wriothesley's chest and sighing happily. This was both of their happy places. It was safe and warm and felt like forever… felt like happiness.