don't do a god damn thing they say

Being that Eli knew Zach so well, he understood that hurt just by the way the older man was acting and the way he sounded. What Eli hadn’t expected was for that pain to resonate into his own core. His ribs hurt and his chest ached and he felt the stinging pain of it all in the back of his throat and behind his eyes. He swallowed thickly. “Since we left. I left right after you did... since then. I started right away.”

Watching Eli’s movements and hearing the words coming out of him, Zach suddenly felt the pressure of the air around himself. His ears rang, making him squint and lean slightly to try and hear Eli - or Charlie - and his chest felt tight. He could feel his pulse, hear it, his mouth ran dry and he kept swallowing, his entire body felt both loose and rigid with tension. “What?” Zach felt like he was about to spew the contents of his stomach as the dizziness of his head took over him. His palm nearly slapped to his forehead and his thick fingers rubbed back and forth, trying to find some way to calm and soothe all that was raging within him internally. He couldn’t look up, couldn’t meet their eyes, not yet. But they lifted anyway. “Charlie?”

Eli’s heart was racing. He hadn’t felt half this nervous or scared when he’d come out to his parents, why was he feeling it now? He shook his head, “No, not Charlie. Not anymore, Zach.” He answered, finally letting his head drop to look at Zach in the eyes -- it’s what he deserved. But Eli couldn’t help the fact that his own eyes were wide with fear and emotion. He’d never wanted to run so much in his life yet he was rooted to the spot. He had to see the reaction, had to see the disgust and resentment before he could completely write Zach off... it was what he’d been preparing himself for.

It was a good thing Eli hadn’t fought back. He would’ve ended up in the hospital and Zach in a jail cell. It also gave the aggressor time to collect himself a bit and settle down - the subject was simply way too sensitive for him and most everyone knew not to broach it with him. “What the fuck do you mean you were there? I didn’t fucking see you. You come running in after and hold her real fucking tight or some shit?” His icy blue eyes bored into Eli and for a fraction of a second he saw it but shook it out of his head. It was like he’d seen that look before. “If you knew what the fuck happened you wouldn’t be fucking standing there saying I walked the fuck out. Fucking Thibaults - all self pity.”

Eli laughed but it was completely void of humor. He could no longer allow himself to look at Zach, it hurt too much and he didn’t want to see the expression on face of the man he had loved for so long when he realized the truth. “Do I have to spell it out for you? I was there.” He continued, looking up at the sky now as if there was something up there that could give him strength or help him through. “I gave you a choice, I’m not pitying myself. But you made the choice to go, so I call that walking out.”

“You really live in a goddamn dream land, don’t you?” It was a curious thing how upset and easily set off this one got - and Zach had always thought he had a short fuse. At first, his reaction to the words pouring carelessly out of the other’s mouth just made him scratch at his beard in a bored manner but the second he was told he had no right, he snapped, and nearly charged Eli. He stopped short of throwing the smaller male into the nearest wall. Zach’s fists were clenched, as well as his jaw, and he was nearly snarling. “I don’t have the right?! I DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT?! You shut your fucking mouth before that jaw gets broken! I will NOT warn you again! You say NOTHING of her or our relationship or it will be the last shit you say! That’s a fucking promise.” And as if she couldn’t contain the energy surging through his body, his hands slammed outward and shoved Eli as hard as he could before stepping back and walking a small circle, fuming. “I DID NOT FUCKING WALK OUT! DON’T YOU FUCKING TALK TO ME LIKE YOU FUCKING KNOW ANYTHING!” He shouted, losing control fast. “I’ll tell you what, cunt, you stay the fuck away from me and my family or you’ll find the fuck out whose town this is. I’M NOT FUCKING KIDDING.”

Eli groaned as he was shoved. He could shove back but he knew this man and he knew better. There was no containing the beast that was within if he didn’t care about you like blood -- and Eli had lost that a long time ago. He knew better than to push it. So he took it with his jaw set and his head tilted back in near defiance just to look into the blue eyes of the other -- for a minute, it felt familiar but he’d never experienced it from this side, not to this degree. “I can say what I want.” The yelling had rendered Eli slightly hoarse and his voice had lost any sort of fight it had had to it in the moments preceding this semi-fight. “I was there, I know what happened.”

“My town, bitch. Telling you not to be a fucking asshole and fucking half isn’t stupid shit. I don;t know who the fuck you actually are but you don’t say shit about Charlie and you don’t be shitty to what’s mine - aka my brother. Guess you better fucking leave town then huh?”

“This is not your town, Zachary Kane. It doesn’t belong to you and your name doesn’t hold any fuckin’ weight, either. Not with me, anyway.” He was getting flustered now, it was only a matter of time before everything broke loose like a dam giving in on itself and Eli just wasn’t prepared. “As for your fucking brother, I didn’t act shitty to him. I just told him to keep his nose where it belongs and I’ll tell you the same damn thing. You have no right to know anything about what did or did not happen to Charlie because you walked out. So, if I want to give my version of the truth, you and your god damned nosy brother don’t have any say in the matter of it. Take it or fuckin’ leave it but I’m not goin’ anywhere because, as much as you wanna claim this town is yours it’s mine, too.”

Zach laughed. “You fucking wish I was obsessed with you. You started the damn conversation and as usual, get fucking pissy as soon as it doesn’t go your way. Just keep walking on, twat.”

“Why are you everywhere I fucking turn? Why do you text me stupid shit? You’re annoying, it’s not my fault. I’m tired of seeing you every god damned place.”

Jeanette glanced up from the book she was reading and blinked.  “Um … sorry?” she said.

“I wasn’t talkin’ to you. I was talkin’ to that guy.” Eli pointed at the person in question. “Don’t know why you’d think I was talking to you, you’re reading. Sorry about that.”

“Pot meet fucking kettle - YOU’RE BLACK. Actually you’re just a piece of shit.”

“Why don’t you just leave me alone, then? You’re like... you’re... obsessed with me or something.”

“It’s an accusation I disagree with. Maybe I should get my lawyer,” he joked.

“Yeah, pay your lawyer for no reason. See, there’s another thing to add to why you’re weird. Weirdo.”