Princess // gawsten ✓

011.

The brilliantly lit up Forever 21 sign shone brightly even in the middle of a busy shopping mall. It was flashy and distracting, which was probably why Awsten loved it so much, Geoff could only assume.

He kept a protective hand around his sister's as he followed Awsten through the arched double doors of the clothing store, watching as Awsten marveled over the clothes even though he had probably been there a dozen times.

Awsten led the two Wigingtons throughout the store, throwing jeans, skirts, and sweaters over his arm as he went. Even thought half the stuff on his arm would end up back on the racks, he loved trying things on anyway.

The blue-haired boy had spent the first half of the shopping trip explaining to Geoff's little sister why in the world he enjoyed wearing girl clothes.

"But you're a boy, shouldn't you wear boy clothes like Geoff?" Her gloomy blue eyes stared back up at Awsten's, relaying to him the level of confusion occurring inside the seven year old's brain.

Awsten kept a grip on her hand as Geoff waltzed in and out of the dressing room, pulling articles of clothing off of racks and trying them on as well. "I do like boy clothes, but I think girl clothes look better on me. There's nothing wrong with boys wanting to wear skirts, Amber, it's just a choice the boy makes."

Amber gazed up at Awsten, the weight of the lesson teetering on her small shoulders. "So does this mean you'll help me pick out my skirts?"

The innocent question brought a bright smile upon Awsten's lips, to which he nodded feverishly as he patted her small head. "Of course, Amber. Whatever you need, I'll help you out with."

He stood in the dressing room, peeling off his black clothing as he held a lavender purple skirt between his fingertips. It wasn't the most prettiest skirt Awsten had owned, but Amber wanted him to try it on, and honestly he couldn't say no to Geoff's little sister.

The old memories gnawing at his hipbones screamed for attention as he slid the skirt over his body, settling it right above them to silence them. He had to admit, the color did look really nice.

"I do suggest hurrying up, Aws, I need to get Amber home soon." Geoff called from outside of the dressing area, making Awsten scramble to get his normal clothing back on.

The blue-haired boy hurriedly exited the dressing area, placing the purple skirt back onto the rack and finding his way back to Geoff and Amber. "I think I'm ready to head home."

Amber stood to her feet and frowned at Awsten's empty hands. "You didn't like the skirt?" Her bottom lip pouted out, much like her older brother's did whenever he got upset.

"I loved it, but I don't have the money on me right now." Awsten knelt down and planted a kiss on Amber's forehead. "Hopefully, the next time you see me, I'll be wearing it around." Standing back to his feet, Awsten gave Geoff a large smile as he led the pair out of the store and back towards the car.

A few last thoughts entered Awsten's head as he buckled his seatbelt over his chest: Just a fling my ass.

————

"Daddy's not going to hurt you." His father's voice dripped with care as the room filled with blackness once more.

He was huddled in the corner of his small bed, his knees hugged to his chest as he rocked back and forth. "Go away, Daddy!" His voice pierced the air as he felt hands encompass his small body and a cloth cover his screaming mouth.

The lights flickered on, and Geoff sat up abruptly, sweat coating his unclothed body like a coat three sizes too small. His vision remained blurry until his knuckles rubbed at his eyes, clearing his vision and landing his eyes on his little sister. She was clutching a small stuffed bear, and her hair was a rat's nest atop her head. "Why are you screaming, Geoff?" Her voice was filled with tiredness and innocence as she approached her brother's bed, climbing into it and curling up next to him. "You told Mommy you took your medicine today. Did you lie?"

Amber was always observant, kept good records of words, and asked too many questions. She always had the right questions, even though she was too young to estimate the amount of depth in them. "No Amb, I took my medicine today. Sometimes they don't work like they should." His fingers began to untangle her mangled hair, pulling knots out with ease and separating sections of hair.

"Why do you take them if they don't work?" Amber asked as she sat still for Geoff, letting him play with her ever-growing hair.

Geoff swallowed dryly as he began to braid strands together and pull them apart simultaneously. "Because—" It was that moment that Geoff realized he had no answer to his sister's question. He couldn't tell her why he had to take them, or what happened to him that was so traumatic that he was forced onto medication when he was seven years old, just a few years before Amber was conceived. "Because Mommy tells me to, and you always have to do as Mommy says." The sentence stabbed back inside of his throat, making his palms begin to sweat as a flashback was threatening its way back into his mind.

He focused on his little sister, trying to get his mind to stay focused on braiding, but it wasn't working. "Go back to bed, Amber, you're up too late as it is." He gave her a small kiss on the back of her head, watching as the door shut behind her. His hands flew furiously around as he tried to find his cell phone. There was only two things that could cure his flashbacks and stop them from happening.

Finally, his hands found his phone within his bedsheets and his fingers flew across the keys, dialing the phone number and holding it up to his ear. "It's late—yes I know. I need some bud and someone to help me forget."