Let Go

20: Angels And Devils

Thomas's POV:

“Black,” I said, “with silver accents and cufflinks,”

“Right up,” Lucas said.

Dress to Impress was a lame store with great fashion, and Raiden needed a tuxedo for the masquerade.

I didn’t expect Raiden to be wanting to go to the masquerade with me, but he insisted, so there we were, picking a tux for him to wow me more than he already had.

I looked at him as we waited Lucas to get the proper garments. I wondered how I had gotten so lucky to be with this fragile human I called my boyfriend. He was nothing like his twin.

Broken, scarred, and full of dreams that he wanted to achieve with me. He made me feel like he wanted us to be more, despite him taking one step forward and five back. His own pace, our own dance.

Lucas returned shortly so he went into the changing room.

After a short while of not hearing any shuffling, I knocked on the door. "Are you done?" I asked. He didn't reply. "Raiden?" I started getting worried when he didn't answer again.

I had learned how simple things could take Raiden down a spiral of self loathing and misery. I had seen how it would take him one wrong step to fall down a long flight of stairs.

A few moments later, I heard a sniffle coming from inside.

I cussed, opened the door, and went inside. Raiden was on the floor of the small changing room, still in his clothes, the tuxedo in his lap.

"I'm so stupid," He cried.

"Shush, don't say that. What's wrong?"

He didn't know how to put it on, and just like I expected, it triggered his anxiety.

"Let me," I untangled him from the mess he got himself in and showed him the proper way to do it. It wasn't that difficult, but sometimes even the easiest things could feel like a heap load of trouble.

I taught him how to properly tuck his shirt and tie his tie. It was a calming silence as we put up the finishing touches, and Raiden was ready to go.

As we strolled back to Raiden's house where I left my car, my phone rang.

The screen read 'Dad'. I visibly tended up, for he only called when it was something bad.

"Thomas," Dad spoke rigidly, giving away nothing in his tone.

"Yes, dad?"

"Be home by eleven and go straight to my office, will you?" He sounded grim. I did not like where this was leading to.

"Anything wrong, dad? You're kind of freaking me out,"

"Just be there, alright? We need to talk, that's all."

"Alright, alright, I'll be there." he hung up right afterwards.

Raiden questioned if anything was wrong, but I brushed it off as 'probably nothing major'. It was definitely something major.

When we got to Raiden's house, something immediately felt off. It was more of a gut feeling, but my gut never failed me before.

We walked across the driveway and past their car and to the front door. He opened it and went in. The house was very quiet.

Raiden did a quick search around the house but came up short.

"The car is outside, and he rarely goes anywhere on foot," Raiden said when he couldn't find his brother, "probably went to the market or something,"