#william clark

happy father's day to william clark, who got his son the help he needed and raised his daughter to be the sweetest soul.

happy father's day to james fields, who, despite being a grandfather, did his best to take care of his grandson and give him a normal life outside of gang affiliation.

father's day to daniel clark, who barely acted like one for his son at all.

Anger issues was something Aiden was very well acquainted with— sure he personally hadn't felt much of the rising fury in his lifetime but he'd seen it.

He'd seen it in Ben.

He'd seen anger rise until it bubbled over, until it exploded in ways Aiden could never unsee— hidden injuries he spotted at family gatherings, balled fists squeezing tighter and tighter by the second, expressions that screamed so loud Ben didn't need to use his voice to yell— he'd heard of street fights that spread to gang violence cases, to targets put on the backs of those uninvolved, and a log cabin, a home, once warm— the soft kind— with love and care and memories, burnt to a crisp by a harsh fire that never truly stopped.

Then came the guilt. The depression.

Aiden knew the depression. He felt it— sure not the type that Ben faced, not the aching sense of having no purpose after his vocal cords were teared from him, or the loneliness he must've felt being separated from his parents and sister—

Aiden felt a different form, one that ate at him from the inside out, a feeling of worthlessness, as if the world itself had dulled and nothing was worth it. He was never in one place for long enough to settle, and never had a strong enough relationship with his business centred parents.

In a way, he guesses he was lonely too.

Then came the healing. For both of them—

But more Ben than him. Aiden was sidelined, Ben was the main focus, he had to be, it made sense—

Suddenly he didn't just see Ben at family gatherings, suddenly he was a part of the routine— the only good part for a while.

They healed together, side by side.

It didn't matter that Ben didn't know what Aiden was going through— he was there for him and vis versa—

For Ben, healing came in the form of weekly therapy sessions, breathing techniques and travelling the world to find a purpose— accepting his new way of life. For Aiden it came in the form of adrenaline seeking, blonde hair dye and bright red contacts— a big overdue change in attitude.

And the need to be there for his cousin. A mask he'd never let slip, it was for the greater good.

Suddenly, his parents chose a place to settle— Alto Georgia… and that brought him to now— he was new kid, but this time, he figured he'd give this friends thing a go.

"Wow! They're getting closer! That's so cool to see!"

"Oh! Okay! I guess they're kidnapped now.. Uhm, not cool! But they're still together at least!!"

"Okay, well screw me and my optimism."