Archive of Our Own ^beta

Charlie can’t help but giggle at the way her brother pouts at his girlfriend. Just seeing her brother, that everyone seems to constantly laud as one of the more mature in the group, making such a childish expression again is hilarious to her, especially given the occasion. It’s the Emily twins’ 19^th birthday, and all of their friends are there to celebrate. Well, almost all of them…

Michael Afton hadn’t been able to attend, something Charlie thinks he’s more upset about than she is. He’d wanted to come, been excited about it for a long while, but just a few days prior his father William had insisted he needed to be home on that day to look after his siblings. Charlie has no doubt that sparked another heated argument between them, one Mike had apparently lost if his absence said anything.

Those arguments had become a lot more common over the past two years… Even with how rocky their relationship was, the father and son could usually be counted on to remain civil with one another, but ever since Clara passed away the two seemed to be at each other’s throats.

William would probably insist that Michael was just being childish and rebellious, while Michael always complained that William was so selfish and controlling. Honestly, Charlie couldn’t tell you when their relationship had truly started to deteriorate. From what she can remember they’d gotten along great in the past! And yet, here they are…

Shaking herself from those thoughts, she decides to focus on something else for now, “Sammy, I don’t think the pouting will get you what you want. She’s just going to tease you harder.”

Her brother lets out a tired groan, “I know. I just wish she’d take this a bit more seriously.”

Jessica rolls her eyes, “Okay, damn. Talking about me like I’m not here. It’s not that big a deal, Sammy.”

He scowls, “And what the hell is everyone else supposed to think when you say out loud that you ‘can’t give me my gift here, but can definitely give it me later if I know what you mean,’ Jess?”

“… Okay, I’ll admit it sounded worse than I meant it to.”

Sammy puts on his sarcastic voice, something he’d picked up from hanging around John and Michael, “Oh, really now Jess? That doesn’t sound good with an audience? You’re right, how could you have possibly known that?”

Charlie reaches over and lightly smacks her brother’s head, “Don’t mind him, he’s just embarrassed because he thinks anything intimate should be more special and private.”

Before the conversation can continue, there’s a knock at the door.

Standing up, Charlie announces, “I’ll get it.”

She’s curious who it could be. Maybe Aunt Jen stopped by for a surprise visit? She wouldn’t put it past the woman, what with her big focus on independence. However, it’s not Aunt Jen at the door.

Charlie’s eyebrows shoot up as she opens the door, “Mike?”

Indeed, but it isn’t just Mike. He’s holding the hands of his two younger siblings, who both look on the verge of tears. While that isn’t exactly unusual for Evan, it actually takes quite a bit to make Elizabeth cry. What had happened?

Mike speaks, quieter than usual, “Hey Char. I know this might not be the best time to ask, but do you think we can stay the night?”

Charlie knows that tone of voice, that forced casual tone. Whatever lead to the Afton kids coming over, it pissed Michael off. Based on the evidence provided to her… looks like she had been right, Michael had definitely gotten into an argument with his father. Though, something else is bothering her. Michael is purposely turning his face away from her, only looking at her from the corner of his eye.

Charlie frowns, “Of course you can Mike, just… what happened?”

Before Michael can brush the issue off like he usually would, both of his younger siblings rush to latch onto Charlie for comfort, their tears finally falling.

It’s Elizabeth who actually reveals the heart of the matter in between her choked sobs, “D-daddy hit Mikey!”

Charlie’s thought process comes grinding to a halt, and even the chatter of her friends behind her dies out, “… What?”

Charlie isn’t sure she’s breathing. She knew William and Michael didn’t get along but this? This was… too much.

Slowly, with a tired sigh, Michael turns his head to properly face her. Charlie can’t help but let out a shocked gasp at the bright red handprint on Michael’s left cheek. Seeing the actual proof… Charlie feels like she might puke, it just feels so… wrong. It goes against everything she thought she knew about William and… it makes her want to cry. Seeing Michael with the few bruises and scrapes he got just from being his reckless self or from getting into fights at school was already enough to upset her, but this went beyond that.

This was evidence that Michael had been hurt by someone he was supposed to be able to trust.

Grabbing his jacket, Charlie pulls Michael closer and hugs him as tightly as she can. He doesn’t deserve this, no one does. Slowly, Michael’s arms wrap around Charlie as well, his tight grip on her betraying just how much he needed this.

Eventually, Michael pulls away (though Charlie is fairly certain he didn’t want to), “Think you can let us inside?”

Charlie swallows thickly, nodding, “Right, of course.”

Walking into the house, Mike nods at everyone while giving a simple, “Hey.”

Surprisingly, the first person to say something is Sammy, “That’s it? That’s all you have to say after what we just heard?”

Charlie sighs, “Sammy, ple-”

Her brother cuts her off, shooting to his feet with rage contorting his expression, “Tell me you got him back. Tell me you didn’t let that bastard get away with this.”

It’s more than a little surprising to see, considering Sammy is usually more composed than anyone else in the group. But if there was something for him to really get mad about, Charlie supposes it would certainly be this. Though, it just makes her sad more than anything else.

Michael chuckles quietly as he smirks, some of his usual behavior shining through, “Of course I did, who do you take me for? If someone hits me, I always hit them back twice as hard. No exceptions. Right about now William should be on his way to the hospital with a broken nose, though considering I took the car to get here he’ll have to go on foot.”

Of course. Honestly, how else could she expect Michael to respond to the situation? At the very least, his answer seems to satisfy Sammy as he sits back down.

Michael yawns, “I’ve had a bit of a long day, I think I’ll go lay down now.”

Without another word Michael makes his way up the stairs, and Charlie already knows where he’s going.

Sighing, Charlie looks back at her brother, “Sammy, can you look after the kids for a bit and call to tell dad they’re here? I’d rather not leave Mike alone right now.”

Sammy nods, expression still angry, “Of course.”

Having the confirmation from her brother, Charlie ascends the stairs and goes to find Michael. As expected, she finds him in her room, laying on the bed and just staring up at the ceiling. Quietly, she goes and lays next to him. They stay like that for a bit, just staring up at the many star-shaped stickers she has on the ceiling.

Eventually, Charlie breaks the silence, “I know you want to play this off Michael, to make it out like this isn’t a big deal-”

Michael interjects, “It really isn’t.”

Charlie glares at him, “Yes, it is! You can’t just sit there and pretend to be okay with this!”

Michael scowls, “I’ve had worse before. I’ll live.”

Charlie sits up, genuinely angry now, “And what’s that supposed to mean?!?”

Michael just calmly looks up at her, “My mother. And I don’t mean Clara.”

Right, with how well they had gotten along sometimes Charlie forgets that Clara was Michael’s stepmother. His birth mother was shrouded in mystery, with most people in Hurricane not even knowing she had ever existed. That makes some sense, since she and William had separated before he and Michael had moved to the states. That’s about all she knew though, not even knowing the woman’s name, since the three who had actually known her (William, Michael, and her father Henry) refused to speak about her.

Charlie thinks back to the Michael Afton she had originally met, the reclusive boy whose personality couldn’t be any more different from his current one. Nervous, quiet, always seeming scared of something, always looking over his shoulder for some invisible threat…

Christ, how had she never put it together?

Swallowing thickly, Charlie asks, “Michael. Don’t lie to me, what did she do to you?”

Michael’s expression darkens, “I think the better question is what didn’t she do. She beat me, she called me every name in the book, she made me lie to William’s face about what was happening, and at one point I even ended up in the hospital for a bit because of her. Though, after that incident it was impossible to hide what she was doing from William anymore.”

Charlie can almost hear the sound of her heart breaking for Michael. Honestly, she feels like it’s a miracle Michael was able to trust anyone after that, especially Clara. Someone else stepping into the role his own mother was supposed to fill after everything he’d experienced?

Michael sighs, drawing her attention again, “You know, yesterday I still had a bit of respect for William. Despite everything, he had never once stooped to her level. After tonight though… I don’t want to go back to that house, Charlie.”

Charlie gently places a hand on his unmarred cheek, “And you won’t have to.”

Michael looks up at her, the ghost of a smile playing at his lips, “Have I ever told you you’re far too kind to me.”

Charlie smirks as she leans closer to her boyfriend’s face, “You have. And every single time I do the same thing.”

Like always, she brings their lips together to shut Michael up with a gentle kiss. She can only hope it fully conveys how much she cares for him. Though, with how she can feel the tension leaving his body as he melts into the kiss, she thinks it’s doing an okay job.