Archive of Our Own ^beta

Rain streamed down the grimy window pane. Thunder growled in the distance, muffling the soft sniffles that came from the corner of the bedroom.

Jason leaned on the door and tried to ignore Willis' raging. He wasn't sure what his father was angry about this time, but he knew that if he wanted to escape the situation unscathed, he had to stay out of the situation entirely. Out of sight, out of mind. It worked... most of the time.

The sound of ceramic crashing on the floor reverberated through the apartment's thin, mildewy walls. Willis' furious bellows made Jason wish he could curl into a ball and disappear. His face still tingled from where his alleged ‘father’ had slapped him.

A quiet whimper from the far corner prompted a twinge of pain to blossom in his chest. It was a not-so-subtle reminder that he was not the only one who suffered through his father’s torment.

Crawling to his feet, Jason crept across the room and peered into the shadows.

Head in her hands, a little girl sat in the corner. Her long bedraggled hair trembled with the faint tremors that shook her delicate frame.

Jason sucked in an inaudible sigh before warily approaching the tiny girl.

"Idette," He whispered, kneeling down a little ways away on the worn hardwood floors.

Her head remained buried in her lap.

"Hey, Ide. What's wrong?" Jason bit his lip.

Thunder cracked outside the window, shaking the apartment's flimsy framework.

"Is it the storm?" He tried as he twisted his hands together.

A small jerk of her head that indicated the negative caused Jason's heart to sink.

"Was it," He paused. "Was it Willis?"

Idette tugged her legs closer to her fragile body at the mention of their father's name. A cold stone settled in the pit of Jason's stomach.

"Ide... Did he hit you again? While I was out with mom?"

No response.

A wave of dread crashed into Jason, drenching him in it's acidic waters.

"Ide, can you tell me if Willis hit you?" He asked again, softly.

She shook her head again, causing her dark locks to fall over her thin shoulders.

Jason's brow scrunched up. "No, he didn't, or no, I won’t tell you?"

A string of mumbled words were whimpered in reply.

"Can you say that again, please?" Jason whispered, shoving away some empty pill bottles to make room next to the little girl.

"I wont tell you." Idette murmured when Jason finally sat down next to her.

A spark of anger ignited in his chest. He took a deep breath to calm the rising emotions, and searched for the proper inquiry.

"'Cause if I tell you," Idette continued, before Jason had a chance to speak. "Then you'll get mad."

She hesitated, squeezing her twig arms around her slender body. "An' I hate it when you get mad."

Worrying his lip until he tasted iron, Jason carefully wraps his sister in a hug.

“I’m sorry Ide,” The words felt hollow and fake, in spite of the honesty wavering behind them.

“S’okay,” Idette peers at him through her knotty hair, ocean eyes big and glassy.

Frustration surged through Jason’s veins. Because, no, it wasn’t okay. But getting angry wasn’t going to make Willis change. It wasn’t going to fix anything. So he clenched his teeth and racked his brain for a topic change.

“Ari said she was coming to visit soon.” The revelation slid out before Jason registered what he said.

Idette’s head popped up from her arms, surprise flashing across her face.

“Really?” Barely concealed excitement laced her hoarse voice.

A flicker of a smile danced across Jason’s lips. “Yeah.”

Ari was going to be irritated that Jason had mentioned it, but a twist in his gut made him believe that it was better that Idette had something 'good' to look forward too.

“But I thought she was gone ‘til Christmas...?” The quiet, implied question made him pause.

It was true; their cousin was supposed to live with her father due to his failing health. She told them when she left that she wouldn’t be able to visit until Christmas. But in spite of her best efforts, there wasn't much a teenager could do about lung cancer. A few days ago, Jason had picked up a call from her on Catherine’s phone to hear Ari’s soft explanation that her father had finally passed away. Apparently she wanted to deliver the news to Willis and Catherine in person.

Even Jason knew how close Willis had been to his brother-in-law. The only time Jason ever saw his father be 'kind' had been when Uncle Peter was visiting. All the days his Uncle had shown up with a home-cooked meal, little gifts, or even just coming to help around the apartment while Willis was at work, flooded Jason’s mind. His stomach twisted with pain when he had realized that none of that would ever happen again.

Idette sniffled, which caused Jason to snap back to the present.

"Mhm," he replied, unsure of whether or not he should explain why Ari was actually coming. “She was going to, but I think her plans changed.”

He chewed his lip, flicking an empty pill bottle away from his leg while he waited for Idette's reply.

Idette hummed in acknowledgement, leaning into Jason's embrace when a roll of thunder rattled the window panes. Pale streaks of light flickered across the sky, like slender fingers grasping coal clouds. Jason’s eyes flitted around the ever darkening bedroom, landing on a pile of books staked atop a cardboard box. The whisper of a smile caressed his face when an idea came to mind.

“Hey Ide,” He murmurd, waiting until she looked up at him to continue. “D’ya wanna read something together?”

A shy smile blossoms on the child’s face as she ducks her head. Chuckling, Jason released her and scooted over to the box to survey their options.

“Which one—” he started, getting cut off by a pair of small hands snatching a book from the stack. Looking up, Jason huffed a laugh at Idette’s choice.

“Pride and Prejudice it is then,” He smirks, shoving down the wrench of grief at the sight of the novel. He couldn’t let his emotions get in the way of his sister’s potential happiness. Even if it meant risking damage to his most prized possession; a beautiful hardback copy of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, that Uncle Peter gifted him for his 10th birthday.

Gently taking the book from his sister’s hands, Jason crawled onto the mattress on the floor that served as their bed. He patted the space beside him and waited for Idette to curl into his side before cracking the book open.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man...” The words rolled from Jason’s tongue with ease, mingling with the pattering of rain.

Outside, the storm raged on; the sky rolled turmoil as it’s tears flooded the forsaken city. Outside, criminals stole away into their grimy alleyways; seeking refuge from the rain. Outside, a shadow of protection leapt from rooftop to rooftop; a brightly clad flash of hope followed in it’s wake. Outside, a child watched them with wonder; a camera was gripped in his pale hands. Outside, the world turned round; heedless of the two children clinging to the fraying threads of joy, hidden away in their lowly Crime Alley home.