Work Text:
It was a typical night for Dennis. He and Mac got back from the bar around 3, Mac heading straight to his room and passing out, while Dennis stayed in the kitchen. He was sitting at the table, a pack of cigarettes in his left hand and a beer in his right. He didn’t want to go to sleep just yet, not that he wasn’t tired, he just felt off.
The apartment was quiet, aside from the consistent hum of the refrigerator and the muffled sounds of Mac’s snores from the other room. Dennis pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a few drags and using his half-empty beer as an ashtray. He felt a little nauseous but he decided to ignore it, basking in the headrush. He was lightheaded as he lit the next cigarette with the butt of his last. He watched captivated as the smoke danced around the room, leaning back in his chair and ashing into warm beer. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the peace.
Dennis had almost fallen asleep when he heard his phone go off.
Charlie - 3:44 AM
r u awak???
“Jesus Christ the kid needs to learn how to spell,” Dennis laughed to himself. He was about to ignore the message - I mean come on Charlie, it’s like 4 in the morning! - when his phone started to ring.
Reluctantly, Dennis picked up the phone. “What Charlie, why are you calling me?” It came out a little harsher than he intended so he softened his voice when Charlie didn’t respond. “Charlie?”
”Hey Den.” Charlie sounded… off. His voice was lower and raspier than normal and Dennis thought it almost sounded like he’d been crying.
”What’s up man? Did something happen? It's late.”
Dennis heard a heavy breath on the other side of the line, followed by some mumbling and shuffling footsteps. Dennis almost jumped out of his chair when suddenly he heard knocking at the door.
When he opened it he was met with the sight of a very disheveled Charlie, the hood of his grey sweater pulled down halfway past his eyes, silver paint staining his mouth and nose, eyes red and watery. He looked like shit, frankly. He was shaking and he held his phone in a death grip with his right hand, call still going, Dennis’s phone still to his ear. He put it down when Charlie met his eyes.
”Hey Dennis.” His voice was hardly there anymore, mostly a whisper coming out.
”What’s going on?” Charlie didn’t say anything, walking past him to the kitchen table and sitting down. Dennis hadn’t even closed the door yet when he pulled out a cigarette from Dennis’ pack, taking a long drag with his eyes closed. Dennis closed the door and put his phone in his pocket, sitting in the chair next to Charlie. He grabbed another cigarette and Charlie handed him the lighter, not looking up. He took it and lit his 3rd of the night, enjoying the burn in the back of his throat as smoke filled his lungs. They sat in silence, smoke filling the room as they burned through half the pack. After a while, Charlie cleared his throat.
”Uncle Jack was waiting outside my apartment when I got home.” Shit, no wonder he’s fucking shaking. “He said he needed to give me my birthday gift cause he didn’t get to see me on my birthday. My mom told him to go over and wait for me to get off. Fucking – I just fucking hate her sometimes! Fuck.” He took a long drag of a cigarette and Dennis pretended not to see the tears on his face. Charlie was practically vibrating, he was bouncing his leg and tapping his hand frantically on the table, ash falling onto the hardwood and smudging all over his sweater everytime he moved. Dennis didn’t know what he was supposed to do. How to comfort him the way a real person does. They way Mac does. But Mac is asleep, and for some reason Charlie called him. He waited, hoping Charlie might continue if he didn’t fill the silence.
“And you know, she fucking knew. Of course she fucking knew! How do you not know your own brother likes fucking kids? How do you let a fucking creep like that around your son? How do you let him sleep in the same room with the door closed with your fucking kid who you know he wants to fucking touch! All the fucking shit she does to keep me alive but she doesn’t give a shit if she’s letting her brother fuck me!” He let out a harsh sob before putting his head down into his crossed arms, cigarette still in between his fingers, slowly burning as he shook. Dennis reached over, touching his arm slightly. When Charlie didn’t flinch he started to rub up and down his shoulder, feeling him shake slightly less, he continued wordlessly.
—---------------------------
The sobs that had wracked Charlie’s body had mostly stopped and his cigarette had burnt out. Dennis put his out a few minutes ago but didn’t dare stop what he was doing, scared Charlie might start to cry again. The motion was soothing, he rubbed up and down his arms and shoulder, the material of his sweater soft on Dennis’ hand. Charlie was still leaned over the table head in his hands. After a while, Dennis finally spoke.
”I’m really sorry he did that, Charlie. Your mom is a fucking cunt. I’ll fucking kill that creep if you want me to, I’m serious. He deserves to be punished for what he did to you.” Charlie slowly lifted his head. His eyes were completely bloodshot and red, his face wet with snot and tears. He looked like a wreck and Dennis felt a hot wave of anger rush over him. Fuck Bonnie for letting Jack do that to him, and fuck Jack for being a fucking creep and ruining Charlie’s life! Dennis felt guilty to think it, but sometimes he wondered what Charlie would have been like if his childhood was different. If he had a better mom, or if his dad was around, or if Jack was in fucking prison. Maybe he wouldn’t have rotted his brains with glue and paint and alcohol. Dennis thought he might even be a pretty smart guy, I mean sure, he can’t read, but he can play almost any instrument perfectly, and Dennis isn’t stupid enough to think the bar would still be open if it wasn’t for Charlie’s schemes. If he wasn’t so brain damaged and traumatized he might even be a genius. It’s not fair his whole life was ruined by one horrible man.
”I don’t want him to die. I want him to rot in prison for the rest of his life and have 6’5 black men to do what he did to me. But he’s a lawyer and he’s already told me plenty of times there’s no proof of anything he fucking did. Not like my mom’s gonna talk to cops or any of that shit. She would hate me forever if I sent her brother to jail. Plus I don’t wanna be known as that guy who got fucking molested by his uncle.” His voice broke at the same time as the tears that fell from his glistening eyes, trailing down his cheeks and chin and dripping onto his sweater. Dennis felt for him. Somewhere deep inside the back of his mind he pushed back images of the back of a library afterschool, glimpses of his mom half-drunk and high off of something unethically prescribed. Maybe Charlie came to Dennis instead for a reason. Dennis immediately brushed off that thought and focused back on Charlie. Charlie needed him right now and for once he didn’t wanna talk about himself.
”Have you ever tried? A creep like that, there’s gotta be some kind of evidence. Plus, you think Mac wouldn’t testify for you? He’s known you like your whole life. I’m sure they can keep that shit anonymous too. I’m serious though, Charlie, say the word and I’ll fucking kill that bastard. If he’s not going to prison he deserves to pay.” Dennis was more serious than he’d ever been in his life. He thought he might just do it anyways; Jack was an evil man who deserved evil things to happen to him, and Dennis was capable of such things if the situation arose. To prey on a child, there’s some things even Dennis can’t excuse.
Charlie just looked defeated. “Thanks, Den. It’s not gonna work though. And I don’t wanna have to go through all that shit and sit in court crying about it just for him to get away and my mom to never speak to me again.” Dennis bit his tongue. He wanted to scream at Charlie for being an idiot, that he could at least try, but Dennis understood. He understood in a way Mac couldn’t. He understood why Charlie didn’t just wake up Mac tonight. He’s sure Charlie and Mac have had this conversation before, but he also knew it did probably end with Mac screaming at Charlie to just do something about it! But Dennis knew it didn’t work like that. He knew it wasn’t that easy. He tried to ignore the way his skin started to crawl, and how it was becoming more difficult to forget why he was in that library.
It was just past 5 and the sun was just starting to peek through the curtains. Dennis was starting to feel the exhaustion seep into the back of his eyes, stifling a yawn. He wondered if he looked half as bad as Charlie, resisting the urge to check his reflection on the microwave. Charlie had grown quiet again. Dennis wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t good at this comforting and reassuring shit. Usually he would just tell him to get drunk and huff something but clearly that wasn’t going to help and for once he actually cared about that.
”You know, I get it. I swear to God though, the next time I see him, Charlie, he’s a dead man. You don’t get to do that shit and just walk away. You should never have to see his ugly fucking face again.” Charlie slightly smiled and Dennis felt a weight lift from his chest he was unaware was there.
“I never said this but I’m glad you were awake. I was about 5 minutes from going on a bender when I called you.” Dennis looked at Charlie, his face stained with spray paint he huffed, beer stains on his clothes, and a stench of cigarettes, alcohol, cat food and glue.
”You look like you were already on one buddy.” Charlie punched Dennis’ arm and smiled, a full one this time. Dennis pretended he didn’t feel warmth fill his chest.
”Like you’ve never huffed a little glue after a long day of work.”
”Not after half a can of spray paint, 5 tins of cat food, and a 6 pack. I genuinely wonder how you’re alive sometimes.” Charlie huffed at him.
”Hey at least I eat! I’m not the one starving themselves over here.” Dennis punched Charlie back.
“Asshole.”
”Bastard man.”
They both smiled. Their lives were miserable, and they were probably gonna kill themselves within the next 10 years, but at least they had company.
You know, sometimes I forget you aren’t always the biggest asshole on the planet.” Dennis had half a mind to punch him again.
”Really? Over Mac?”
”Sorry, second biggest asshole on the planet.”
”Fuck you!”
”Fuck you!”
Charlie started to yawn and the tiredness had fully caught up to Dennis. “Do you wanna sleep here tonight? Couch is all yours, buddy.” Charlie nodded.
”Thanks Den.” He walked over to the couch, plopping down, not bothering to take off his shoes or change his dirty clothes. Mac would probably have a fit but Dennis didn’t care. By the time he grabbed an extra blanket from his room Charlie was snoring. Dennis draped the quilt over him, leaning down and kissing him on the head. He wasn’t even sure why he did it, but for some reason it made him feel better. Dennis walked back to his room, falling into bed. He felt a mix of anxiety and nausea that he pushed down, ignoring thoughts of what he and Charlie spoke about. Maybe one day Dennis will be able to understand the heavy feelings swirling inside of his stomach but until then he replaces his mom’s face with Charlie’s and falls asleep.