Battle Scars [BxB]

S E V E N T E E N

I flung my arms around my brother the second I saw him, burying my face into the crook of his neck as he hugged me back tightly. I was practically bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet from excitement as I turned my attention to my Dad, giving him a firm hug too, then my Mum.

It was a strange feeling to walk through the sliding glass doors of the hospital waiting room and enter the concrete car park. There weren't nurses surrounding me, there weren't doctors checking up on me every day, there weren't people making sure I took my meds like I was supposed to. I'd finally be sleeping in a room with a door, having full access to a real bathroom while wearing whatever I wanted. It felt like I'd been cornered off from the real world for a lifetime. And now, everything felt big.

My parents drove me home while chatting away merrily, informing me about everything I'd missed. I watched the trees blur past, my knee bouncing up and down in agitation. It was colder and darker since I entered hospital. People walked passed in woolly hats and dogs wore flimsy coats. Milo was wearing his jacket and a scarf, which he'd given to me after I started shivering.

Daisy leapt up to greet me once we entered the chilly house, licking my hand and barking happily. Though she'd usually be scolded for this behaviour, we let it slide as I dropped down to her level and began scratching behind her ear and ruffling her fur affectionately. The next thing I did was check on the tortoise, Bolt, and the two rabbits, Basil and Parsley. Finally, I headed upstairs and reunited myself with my favourite animal in the house; my pet snake, Rumplesnakeskin.

I knew Milo had been feeding her and cleaning her tank for me while I had been away, but it was a relief to know I'd be able to take care of her myself from now on. As she slipped through my fingers and slithered up my arm, I wandered over to my closet, flinging the door open and frowning.

I hated everything in there. I'd always dressed in clothes that were either hugely oversized or tattered and dying. Everything was jeans and baggy jumpers. Ageing pyjamas and tearing converse. It wasn't me. I didn't want to hide behind loose clothes anymore. I didn't want to conceal my entire demeanour to try and smother my insecurities.

I carefully repositioned the snake on my shoulder as I leant forward to reach for an old shirt that'd been stuffed at the back of the wardrobe for years now. Without a second thought, I placed Rumplesnakeskin back in her tank and slipped the short sleeve shirt over my head, unintentionally messing up my hair. It was fairly tight due to how old it was, loosely clinging onto my body and revealing my entire arms. I cringed as I glanced down at my scarred wrists, chewing on my bottom lip nervously.

I wished I had the ability to not care about showing my scars, but it was difficult. I'd been covering my arms for years now, it was a weird feeling. But I didn't want to let that stop me. I needed to learn not to care. I needed to learn how to let people judge me without worrying about what they thought. I never wanted to feel like I had to hide myself ever again.

I glanced at myself in the mirror and took a deep, comforting breath, trying to loosen my muscles and relax. I vaguely heard the sound of a knock, followed by the front door opening. A few seconds passed before, "Teddy! Tommy's here!"

I didn't hesitate before rushing downstairs, almost stumbling over my feet as I dashed for the front door and blindly threw my arms around him. He stumbled back in shock, letting out an amused grumble as he tightened his grip around me. I stepped back a little, flicking my chocolate locks out of my face, "H-Hey." I smiled brightly.

"Hi." He chuckled, then his eyes landed on my shirt and his brows furrowed. Then he smiled. "I like this." He commented absentmindedly.

I didn't know how to reply, so I merely nodded and murmured a short, "Thanks."

"Come on, we're going out."

I rose my eyebrows suspiciously, "W-We are?"

"Uh-huh. It's an early Christmas present." He winked.

I grinned as I grabbed my jacket from the coat rack and followed him into the blistering cold. We shivered and trembled from the stabbing air, chilling us from the inside out. Once we hopped on the bus, we grew a little warmer, though not by much. "Where are we going?" I asked as we found a seat near the back and the vehicle roared to life.

"It's a surprise." Tommy ruffled my overgrown curls teasingly.

I rolled my eyes as we completed the rest of the journey. Once we reached our stop and exited the bus, we continued walking until Tommy turned into a small shop. It was a hair salon.

I watched him curiously as he chatted to the receptionist. The salon was small and warm, buzzing with the sound of razors and running water. It smelt like shampoo and hair products, the floor was littered with clipped hair and the leather seats were big and inviting.

"Just take a seat, hun. We'll be with you in just a moment." The kind lady behind the counter instructed and Tommy pulled me over to a white sofa resting lazily in the corner.

"W-Why are we here?" I asked in confusion.

"You're dyeing your hair back to how it was. My treat."

"Y-You don't like it?"

"No, you don't like it. It doesn't matter what I think." He corrected. "I know you hate it being all normal and boring and natural."

I mindlessly twisted my fingers into the silky curls and nodded faintly, "So, it's g-getting bleached again?"

He shrugged, "Get it done however you want, Teddy." He told me. "As long as you like it, that's all that matters."

I leant in and snuggled up to him again, giving him a strong side hug as I mumbled into his shoulder, "Thank you, Tommy."