TW - abuse
Travis's POV
"I'm gonna do it."
"Are you sure he won't hurt you?"
"No, but I'm done hiding in his shadow. It's time to be myself."
Sal sits in my lap, his legs wrapped around my waist and his face close to mine. I can feel his warm breath as he exhales. His prosthetic lies on the floor and his face is bare. He looks beautiful as the sun shines on him through the window. He reaches up and pets my soft blond hair. "Just be careful," he whispers.
*****
I exit the apartments after pulling Sal into a sweet, long kiss. I walk through the cold streets towards Father's church, dreading what will happen.
I am going to tell him that I am not changing who I am for his ignorance, and I am never leaving Sal.
I enter the doors of the church. Light seeps through the stained glass windows and reflects rainbows across the floor. I walk up to the front of the church wher Father stands.
"Hello, fag," he grunts, not even looking up.
"Hey," I say. "Listen, we need to talk."
Father's eyes widen and he stares at me. "About your boyfriend?" he mutters, raising his fist at me.
"Yes, actually. I came to say that I love him, and I'm not leaving him to please your stupid beliefs." Father's teeth clinch tightly at this remark. "I came to say that this is who I am, and that I'm not changing."
Father grips me by the collar of my sweater and pushes me against the nearest wall. "Then you are not my son," he mumbles angrily through his gritted teeth.
I grin stupidly. I feel confident. Sal has helped me learn to love myself. "I'm perfectly fine with that. You never loved me anyway."
Father - if I can still call him that - plunges his fist deep into my stomach and then slaps my face. He punches my nose, causing blood to gush out. I only look him in the eyes and smile, which turns into hysterical laughter. Father's eyes widen. "What is wrong with you, boy? I hate you! Don't you know that?"
I only smile wider. At last, I say something that I wish I had had the courage to say years ago to him:
"I'd rather be hated for who I am, then loved for who I am not."
YOU ARE READING
Love is Painful
FanfictionTravis has a secret that he has to keep from his father in order to stay safe: he's in love with a boy. The boy he loves is insecure about himself, and hides the fact that he loves Travis back. The two boys have to date in secret. But everything...
