NothingToKnow

(Cassius pov)

A crash started it all. From the living room, the breaking of glass reverberated throughout the Shores of Solace. Yelling followed. Cassuis shuffled out of his bedroom towards the living room. It was the dead of night, someone had to have broken in. Keefe wasn't even there when Cassius had gone to bed, so it wasn't one of his son's shenanigans.

When he rounded the corner, he paused. Two black cloaked figures... and Keefe. They were in a tussle, Keefe losing terribly.

Cassius froze. He couldn't move. The only thing going on in his mind was the fact that his son was lying there being beat half to death by the group his wife was a part of.

His instincts took over as soon as Keefe locked eyes with him, crying out, "Dad!"

The two Neverseen members, just now noticing Cassius standing there, fled. He didn't bother going after them. He just stumbled toward his son.

Keefe was hardly awake, eyes unfocused. Split lip, black eye, busted head, stab wounds. When Cassius held him in his arms, he felt the stabbing pain all over, but he held fast.

For so long, Cassius had held this mask. He'd never cried in front of his son. He'd never cried in front of anyone in decades. He'd always kept up appearances. But now, that mask was crumbling. Tears streamed down his face.

He glanced over Keefe's wounds once more. So many. So many that he didn't know how to treat.

He hadn't been the father Keefe deserved. Not by a long shot. It was his greatest regret in life. He wouldn't ever deserve his forgiveness.

Guilt, fear, and worry clouded his mind swirling with Keefe's overwhelming emotions. Breath caught in his throat.

Cassius placed a hand over the worst stab wound. Too much blood poured through his fingers. "Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh," he muttered. "It'll be okay, Keefe. I-I promise. I'll fix this."

How was he going to fix this? He took the pristine white throw blanket and tied it around Keefe's bloody leg. Maroon soaked through the clad white.

Cassius's vision swam. So much blood. Coming from Keefe. It was his fault. He should've been able to protect him. But he didn't.

Mindful of his injuries, Cassius scooped his son in his arms. Keefe's body contorted, and his scream echoed throughout the house.

Keefe buried his head into Cassius's shirt, teeth ground into a painful grit. Cassius struggled into his bedroom, placing Keefe on the bed. Blood drops trailed across the carpet.

Rummaging through the medicine cabinet he grabbed anything that could be slighy useful, taking it back towards Keefe.

Cassius applied every balm and bandage he could, but Keefe's condition worsened. Tussling with the sheets, he grabbed his imparter, begging Elwin for help.

"Dad?" Keefe croaked.

Keefe was so pale. His eyes weren't even open. Cassius gently pushed his son's hair from his face.

"I'm so sorry," Cassius whispered, emotion leaking into his voice. "I wish I could fix this, but I can't. Listen to me." He urged Keefe to open his eyes. Meeting his tired gaze, Cassius continued, "I love you. I know I haven't always shown it, but I do. And I'm so sorry I'm just saying this now."

"Love you too," Keefe murmured, chest heaving. His emotions mellowed out from the pain to something more... content? Peaceful? Acceptance? No, it was closure.

Cassius broke. He didn't deserve that. Not in the slightest. He cradled his son close to his body, his son's head resting against his chest.

Cassius sobbed into Keefe's hair. They should've had more time. He should've made the most of their time. With the way Keefe held onto him, bleeding out, he realized just how awful he'd been to him. All the times he yelled at him. Grounded him, unnecessarily. Ripped up his drawings All under the gize of 'tough love'. To teach Keefe the world was cruel. Yes, the world is cruel. But it didn't mean he had to be. He should've been better, but he wasn’t.

Footsteps from the hallway welcomed Elwin into the room. He started to shout instructions, and Cassius blindly followed. Elwin took Keefe from him, ready for the light leap to the Healing Center.

non-bloody version: