Falling for Trouble - brance [COMPLETED]

Do you really think those things about me? - VI

Vance laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was back with his dad, who recently was released. He hadn't talked to Bruce in days and it felt like life was boring, though it had gone back to normal. He was back to skipping school, back to actually staying at his dad's, back to going to the Grab N' Go for pinball.

He had been crying, which was new to him. He always hated crying. Boys didn't cry, his dad always told him so. But soon the crying had turned into tiredness.

"Vance James Hopper!" His drunken father's voice boomed from the living room as he arrived back home. Vance sighed deeply, sitting up and slipping a jacket on. He left his room to find his father standing, beer bottle in tow. "You ratted me out to that fuckin' cop, didn't you?"

Vance stared him dead in the eyes, "no. I just go over to his place when I don't want to deal with your shit."

"Language!" The man shouted as he slapped Vance. Vance's face stung and he put a hand to his cheek. "I heard you've been skipping a lot recently." The man started to back Vance into a corner.

"I can do wha-"

"Shut up!" The man yelled, shoving Vance into the wall. Vance slammed his head into the wall, causing to it start bleeding. "You don't speak until told to!" Vance's father began to harshly beat him, harder than normal. Clearly he was really pissed. And anytime Vance would beg him to stop he'd hit harder.

Punch after punch, kick after kick, Vance could feel his consciousness slipping. Just at the brink of passing out his father silently stormed off, but not before kicking Vance out. He stood for a moment, wondering what to do. He didn't really want to beg to be let back in, but he also didn't really want to bug Jack either. That's when he decided he'd ride the bus to the fields by the edge of town.

Normally there wouldn't be any buses out at night, but it was a Thursday night while it was pouring out. When he got onto the bus he got a few looks, but not many concerned faces. That was normal for Vance though. Everyone in town knew him, so they automatically think he fought someone, when in reality he didn't fight all that much.

Vance watched as the buildings started to become less prominent and the calm grassy fields, which were soaked and icy, grew into the main attraction of outside the bus windows. Sometimes he wished he could just live a life like that. A life where he didn't have to worry about being beaten, losing people close to him, or even school.

"Meadows Park!" The bus driver announced, alerting Vance to get off the bus. He walked out, the cold air immediately hitting him. He shivered for a moment before noticing that the rain wasn't letting up, making the roads a slushy mess. He looked carefully, attempting to avoid the ice as he crossed the street to the empty fields.

Meadows Park was an old city park, made up of many little paths and a main park. He soon found a bench on one of the smaller paths and sat down, letting out a long sigh. He had never really enjoyed any places like this, but he'd also never had to, he felt in this town.

He had been there a few times, to chase away his depression after another fight with his father, but other than that he rarely went. Soon he fell asleep, not really caring that he was leaving himself in a vulnerable state. He only awoke to sound of a loud bus screeching nearby. He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. Vance wasn't even sure what time it was.

"Who knew the Vance Hopper would come to a place like this?" A familiar, very missed voice, laughed quietly as he approached. It was Bruce. Vance lifting his head to see the boy sitting down.

Vance looked at Bruce's watch, "who knew the Bruce Yamada would be out here at 3 am on a Wednesday night." The two boys shared a laugh. "So, Yamada, what are you doing out here?"

"I snuck out," Bruce simply answered. "Why are you out here?"

"Got into a rough fight with my dad," Vance shrugged, sitting up, "he kicked me out."

The two went quiet, enjoying the oddly comfortable silence. Well, it was comfortable for Bruce. Vance's mind raced. It raced and raced until he just blurted out, "do you really think those things about me?" He sat up and looked at Bruce, who looked at him confused in return.

"What things?" Bruce asked, though he had an idea of what Vance meant.

"When you were on the phone with Robin the day him and I fought," Vance started, turning away, unable to look at Bruce. He could feel the train of emotions hitting him again, just like they had before. Amy had told him that the feeling was him being overwhelmed. "You...agreed with him about all that shit he said about me." He could feel tears lining his eyes and wiped his hands on his eyes to stop it, but of course, that never works.

Bruce was silent for a second, fiddling with his thumbs and looking at the grass in front of him. "I didn't mean it, Vance," Bruce whispered quietly, "I just...Robin's been a good friend to me for years. I didn't want to just lose a friendship so quickly, but I didn't want to ruin what we had either."

Vance nodded, shakily sighing. He didn't know how to really feel, how to reply. "It hurt like a bitch," he started, "worse than my dad hitting me, or when I fight with other guys. It hurt..like on the inside. I don't know how to explain it." He put a hand on his chest and he could feel his heart racing.

"It was a shitty thing to do, I'll admit," Bruce sighed, shaking his head. He scooted closer to Vance, turning the blond to face him. "I'm so sorry for it, Vance," he said, looking into Vance's teary blue eyes, "I never intended to make you cry, nevertheless for you to hear it."

Vance understandably couldn't hold eye contact, instead looking down at the grass. "I don't know why I would doubt you," he sighed quietly, "you're so sweet and caring a-and I just couldn't help but feel upset when I heard you saying all that shit."

A tear rolled down Vance's cheek as he started to cry softly. Bruce felt horrible for making him cry. He felt horrible making anyone cry, but for some reason making Vance cry was like a bullet hitting him. And Vance cried in a different way than Bruce had seen before. Usually Bruce would see ugly criers, him being one, but Vance was a pretty crier. The way his watery blue eyes matched with his pink nose and lips. That gave Bruce a tingling sensation in his heart.

"Vance, please don't cry," Bruce whispered quietly, rubbing his thumb softly on Vance's tear covered cheek. Vance looked into Bruce's dark yet emotional eyes. He could see the pain and sadness mixing with an unfamiliar sort of look. That just upset him more, and he cried and cried while Bruce tried to comfort him.

Soon Vance had managed to slightly calm himself. "Sorry," Vance sighed, wiping his eyes for one last time. "I'm just a huge emotional mess lately."

"I know, Vance, and I've been a dick lately," Bruce said with a small smile. Vance smiled as well, and there was a small sparkle in his eyes. Bruce's smiled fell softly as he stared in admiration. He hadn't ever seen that, nor had he even thought it would be possible to see it.

Vance then looked at Bruce's watch and it was somehow already 4:30. "We need to get home," Vance said softly, "or, you do, before your parents find you missing." 

Bruce nodded, and stood up, but he spoke before they started to walk, "I'm actually staying the night at Robin's." Vance nodded, a small frown on his face. "But I won't tell him anything about tonight, okay?"

Vance nodded, "okay." The two started to walk together, quietly enjoying the silence.

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rahhh I'm on a writing roll

words: 1407