𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒, 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒

~Unwanted Pt.2~

X A V I E R

It's been four hours.

Four hours since I shouted at Cooper.

Four hours since I told him what I thought about him, how no one wants him, no one needs him.

Its been four hours since he ran.

I sat on the couch as Grace paced around worriedly, calling people and asking if they've seen Cooper. Each time, she's gotten the same response. "No sorry, I haven't seen him." And each time, Grace has slowly lost hope.

James wouldn't stop glaring at me, neither would dad. James had told them what happened immediately, Grace had at first said that it would be okay, Cooper would come home...

She said that three hours ago...

"I need one of you to go grab Cooper's phone please." Grace said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting back the tears. Blake nodded before running upstairs, he came back a second later with Cooper's phone. Grace took it from his hands, she hit a few buttons before placing it to her ear.

"Hello? Felicity?... I'm okay dear, how are you?... That's good sweetie now, is Cooper with you?... Have you seen him at all?... You should probably come over honey, bring Damian as well..." Grace ended the call, she sat down on the couch, pulling at her hair as her lip quivered.

Dad sat beside her, pulling her into a hug as she started to sob. The guilt started to get to me, the knowledge that this was my fault. James knelt down in front of Grace, assuring her it would be okay.

After a few minutes, the door burst open. Felicity and Damian rushed in, both of them looked worried. Felicity looked at Grace, her face dropping as she saw Grace crying. "W-What happened..." She asked hesitantly. She made her way over, Damian following her as she sat beside Grace.

"Cooper and Xavier got into a fight, Xavier told him some... things and Cooper ran off. At first Grace thought that Cooper would come home after a short time but it's been four hours." James told Felicity.

She turned and glared at me, she stood up and slowly walked over to me in an intimidating way...

I'm not scared... you are!

"I thought I told you about this... I thought I got it into your skull that you can't do this! Cooper doesn't take things like any normal person would! He doesn't just lock himself in his room for an hour and then everything is okay!! It hits him deeper and the fact that you had the audacity to say something that would make him run away?" Felicity just shook her head, she turned to Damian with tears in her eyes. "We go look for him near the woods, Blake and Carlos take one car, James take another and Xavier takes another. Grace and Harrison stay here in case he comes back. If you find him. Call."

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J A M E S

I got into my car, driving off in search for Cooper. I was mad, no doubt about it. Xavier had no right to go off at Cooper like that. But then again, this is Zeke's fault as much as Xavier's.

I had never trusted Zeke, from the word go I had a bad feeling about him. Something about him was always off, maybe it was his fake personality whenever he was over, and how he was a completely different person when he wasn't near my brothers.

I drove around for about ten minutes, checking every street, every park but I couldn't find him. My phone rang, I answered the call. It was a group call Felicity had started. "Has anyone found him?" She asked, her voice seeming strangled. "No, not yet. Where have you guys checked?" Blake asked. "Damian and I checked a little hang out where Cooper and I go. I've checked the school and even the beach, I can't find him anywhere."

"I've gone to different diners, streets, ice cream shops, it's like he's just disappeared." Xavier said. "Well maybe because he has! And it's your fault!!" Felicity shouted. I didn't pay attention as I kept driving... if I was Cooper, where would I go?

The graveyard...

I drove my car in that direction, it was all the way on the other side of town. I sped up, not caring how fast I was going. All I cared about was finding my step brother... my brother.

As much as my brothers won't admit it, I will. Cooper is like a brother to me, a younger brother that I feel like I need to protect.

I stopped in front of the cemetery, I grabbed my phone, ending the call and turning on the flash light. I pulled my hood up, shielding my eyes from the rain. I walked onto cemetery grounds, calling out to Cooper as I walked.

I must have been walking for about five minutes before I saw a hunched figure. I made my way over, taking slow steps in the hope not to scare him. "Cooper?" The hunched figure stayed silent, not moving as I sat down beside him.

I looked at Cooper, his hair was wet, hanging over his eyes as he stared at the grave stones in front of him. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot, even though it was raining, I could tell he was crying. His clothes were completely soaking, clinging to his skin, probably adding to how cold he felt.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, placing it to my ear as I called the group. "Hello?" They all said at once. "I've found him, he's here with me and you guys need to get the house heated up, get blankets and-"

"Is it true?" Cooper asked, catching my attention. I turned to him, looking at him with an eye brow raised. "Is what true?"

"That I'm unwanted? That I'm just a burden that is a waste of space? That my own mom doesn't want me?"

"Don't say that Cooper, Grace was in tears wondering where you were."

"Then why wasn't I found sooner? If anyone really cared I would have been home by now. If anyone really cared, I wouldn't have ran away. If anyone really cared... none of this would have happened." Cooper said, his voice cracking as he started to sob again.

I pulled my hoodie off, putting it over Cooper as I helped him up. I pulled him back to the car, placing him in and turning the heating up.

"We'll be home soon." I said before hanging up, I pulled away from the cemetery, starting to drive home.

"Thank you." Cooper said, causing me to look at him. He looked back at me, a small smile on his face. "Thank you for actually caring... I just wish things were different..." He muttered. We stayed quiet for the rest of the ride, once we got home, I got Cooper in as quickly as I could.

Felicity brought down some warm clothes for him, she pushed him into the bathroom. As he was changing, Felicity and Grace set up the spot in front of the fire. Cooper came out a minute later, his wet clothes in his hands.

Blake took his clothes, putting them in the washer room as Felicity took him over to the fire. She wrapped a blanket around him before telling him to sit down. He obeyed her, like a lost dog unsure what to do. It was like anything she said, he would do. Once he had sat in front of the fire for a bit, Grace walked over to him.

"Cooper Finn Hartley..."