Coming Home // Sidemen AU (Minizerk)

Meeting Ethan

Ethan is six when he meets Josh. Josh is nine. Ethan's mum has recently switched hairdressers; she found the staff at her old one too rude. Josh's mum is friendly and very good at her job. The two women hit is off immediately. One day Ethan's mum has to bring him with her before taking him to buy new clothes.

On that day Josh is helping his mum out by sweeping up the hair on the floor. He isn't being paid but he enjoys listening to the funny conversations and messing about by sliding on the slippery floor. Ethan is sulking in the waiting area, complaining to his mum every so often to hurry up. After his fifth exclamation of "Mum I'm bored!" Josh stops what he's doing and comes over to talk to the young boy.

Josh tells Ethan that he should be a big man and allow his mum this time of relaxation, seeing as she is always looking after him. He says that mums won't be around forever so it's good to spend happy times together while they can. Ethan's mum is a bit shocked by what the nine year old is saying, it's not natural for a kid that age to have so much empathy and such a realistic look on the world. Ethan on the other hand likes it very much; he always likes it when people tell him stuff straight, as if he were an adult. That's what Josh treats him like, an adult, not some dumb snivelling little boy. He spends the rest of his time waiting by sliding on the floor with Josh and suggesting hair colours for people who have come to have their hair dyed.

Over the year's Ethan and Josh's mums become very close friends and frequently meet up with their two sons. The four form tight bonds; both mum's can connect over the fact they both had children at young ages and are no longer with the father, both sons can connect over being kids from "the ends" as they say, and the fact that neither father figure is a constant presence in their lives.

Ethan never knew his dad, he walked out before he was born. Josh knows his dad but that isn't always a good thing. As a young boy a lot of Josh's mood depends on how the relationship is going between him and his father. Sometimes Josh gets angry and kicks stuff in rage when his dad has been particularly mean to his mum. Sometimes he cries after his dad has ignored him when he's trying to talk about his mum's depression. Sometimes he is just silent and Ethan see's the bruises peaking out from under his sleeves. Harsh, purple and finger shaped, like someone has grabbed the boy in a very rough and uncaring manner.

As they grow up Josh remains ever thoughtful and considerate of others, and avoids confrontation when he can, always preferring to talk his way out of an altercation than punch his way. Ethan is the exact opposite. He gets annoyed at the smallest things and finds his mouth never works when other people are shouting at him. Afterwards the first person he runs to is not his mum, but Josh. The older boy is always there to patch him up and make sure nothing is broken. Josh never gets angry or irritated with him either, he simply asks why Ethan got involved. There is always a good reason, although Josh says there is never a good reason for hurting someone else.

Josh tries to keep Ethan away from that sort of stuff and when he is old enough, invites him to the park to play footie with his friends. One of those friends is Simon. Ethan doesn't like the blond boy straight away because he is richer than them and can afford nicer clothes. He doesn't like the fact that Simon's family life seems perfect compared to his. But that undeserved dislike doesn't last very long because Simon is a very likeable person, and he and Josh have been friends since they were five. If you were friends with Josh you were most likely friends with Simon too and so, over time, Simon also becomes a very close friend.

He doesn't like to admit it but Ethan looks up to Josh like an older brother, someone he can rely on to always have his back even when he thinks he doesn't need any help. He also isn't afraid to call Josh out when he's acting stupid or annoying. If Ethan needs advice with something he goes to Josh. If Josh has tweeted something he thinks is profound but is really a load of bullshit Ethan will be the first one to call him out on it.

They don't live too far from each other but go to different school's, rival ones in fact. Every couple of weeks they hear stories of students getting into fights with the other school. Most of the times kids just walk away with bruises. A few times a broken tooth or nose. Very rarely some ends up in hospital from a bullet or stab wound. And once someone never makes it to hospital, only leaving the scene of the crime in a bodybag.

Josh always worries that one day Ethan is going to get in one of those fights and so introduces him to as many of the good people at his school as he can. Between the two of them they are able to form a bond between a select group of students in both schools, and none of those students ever have to worry about the others turning on them.

It's cool. Ethan meets a lot of people who he has a lot in common with and forms lifelong friendships.

It is through Josh that Ethan meets Tobi.