Whylight

37.

((TRIGGER WARNING: hints of transphobia in a flashback.))

It had taken a few months, but Paul had eventually settled into his new life at the den. He and Pat were happy there, and both Chris and Aveline visited often, but they did miss their other siblings. However the thought of going home only to find their father in the house was enough to keep both of the brothers away, for the moment at least.

It wasn't until summer when a young girl knocked at the door of the den that either of the brothers fully considered returning home.

Paul had been chilling in his room and playing Scrabble by himself when Cerberus tapped at his door before going inside and leading the girl in after him.

Although Paul was confused, his heart immediately went out to her. She looked like she had been through the war. Her faded bluey green hair was tangled and knotted, as though she had just ran through a forest which Paul supposed she very well could have and her dress was torn at one shoulder, as if someone had quite literally tried to rip it off of her. To make matters even worse the skin surrounding her left eye had just begun to tint a light shade of bluey purple and Paul opened his mouth in order to begin asking what the hell was going on before his eyes widened and he let out a small squeak. 

"Pablo!?"

The girl didn't say anything, instead she threw her arms around Paul and buried her face into his shoulder. Paul froze up in bewilderment before he slowly wrapped his arms around her, looking over at Cerberus who shrugged his shoulders as much to say 'I'm as lost as you buddy' and Paul blinked as he continued to carefully hug the girl. She looked so much like his youngest brother that he found it unnerving.

"Hey Paul," she mumbled eventually which only added to the torrent of questions that had already built themselves up in Paul's mind, but he held his tongue as the girl eventually let go of him and straightened back up, beginning to rub at her arm as she offered Paul a weak smile.

"Bet you hardly recognized me, huh?"

Paul baulked.

"Pablo?" he repeated and the girls smile became a sad one.

"I prefer Phoebe now," she said. "If that's okay."

"Oh... Sorry uh, Phoebe," Paul said and Phoebes smile brightened a bit before she looked around and frowned.

"Is Pat not here too?" she said.

"His rooms next door," Paul explained. "Pab- Phoebe, what happened?"

Phoebe bit her lip then as Paul listened she explained about how not long after he and Pat had left she had come out as trans to their brother Pawel. She had been too afraid to tell Peter, and Pawel had been in agreement with her on the matter that it would be dangerous to tell their father.

Since he hadn't accepted it when his two sons had come out as gay, it was highly unlikely that he would he accepting of Phoebes gender and so it had been a secret between the two of them for months. That was, before Phoebe had been caught.

Paul listened as his youngest sibling began to shakily explain about how Pawel had been helping her for months, buying her clothes that helped fight against her dysphoria and helping her to grow out her hair, while also safeguarding her from any of her fathers questions.

Paul felt immensely guilty that he hadn't been there to help out, especially when Phoebe finally began to explain what had happened that morning. She told Paul that Pawel had gone out and that their father had accidentally walked in on her while she was trying on a dress in her room. The reaction hadn't been a good one and so Phoebe had fled, having heard rumours of her brothers whereabouts she had searched for the den and eventually found it, demanding that Cerberus should take her to her brothers.

Paul listened to this all while struggling to conceal his rapidly rising anger and when Phoebe finally finished he pulled her into another hug, holding her close and breathing in the all too familiar scent of the coconut shower gel she had always demanded they buy just because she liked the way it bubbled in the bath.
She was still the same person, still his youngest sibling and the realisation that his father was too stubborn to see that made Paul's blood boil.

He knew what he wanted to do.

"Don't worry Phoebe," he said eventually. "I'll ask Dob if you can stay here. He's really nice so he'll probably agree, but if not you, Pat and I can go stay somewhere okay?"

Phoebe sniffled then moved away, wiping her face. "Okay...thanks Paul," she mumbled.

"Well obviously, you're my sister. You should go tell Pat you're here though. He'll be so happy to see you again."

With a small nod, Phoebe hugged Paul one more time before walking back over to Cerberus who led her next door and Paul waited until he heard the door click, balling his hands into fists before he grabbed his coat and headed outside.

He needed to talk to Chris.