the serenity that began to consume hazel's life disappeared as quickly as it entered their life. they felt a dramatic shift in the air after the premiere and they weren't sure why.
at least, they didn't want to admit it. after the premiere of their movie hazel went home. it hadn't been a long time since hazel left ohio but it had been long enough that the stress their hometown and the people in it had caused, no longer ruined their day to day.
knowing how being around their family for long periods of time made them feel, they weren't sure why they went in the first place. its not like they were obligated to, so why put themselves through this ?
to tell you the truth, hazel wasn't sure how the fight had started but now they were both heartbroken. fighting with their grandfather was an emotionally taxing situation and it seemed like they could never win.
it didn't help that they were just like the man so when the two got into it, things were ruthless. hazel could never backdown knowing that the treatment was wrong. they were a person too, they just wanted to be respected at the very least.
it was hard communicating with someone who didn't listen to a word they said because he felt justified in his hurtful actions. hazel self esteem and worth dissolved with every word they're father figure spoke and they cried alone in the bathtub they used as a child.
to make matters worse, they couldn't talk to dominic for a bit. when they were home, their house and the people in it consumed them. sucking the life and the joy out of them effortlessly.
hazel had only spoken to dominic a few times, to let him know that they were okay. thats all. in a span of three days, the couple had barley spoken. it tore them both up inside.
hazel wasn't proud of their roots, their family wasn't open or welcoming and the idea of explaining the structure of their family dynamic seemed like hell. it wasn't that they didn't trust dom with the gory details of their broken home.
if anyone were to understand, he would. it was hard to expose the ugliness of what being with them came with and hazel wasn't ready for him to know the truth about who they were. hazel was fragile, yes but they were also emotionally bartered and bruised. broken even, if they were being honest.
would he still love them if he knew that the ray of sunshine he fell in love with was only one of their many layers. hazel could be aggressive and unstable and unpredictable when pushed to that state and that's exactly what their family brought out in them. the fury of a million men, he couldn't know.
the separation wasn't good for dominic either. he couldn't focus on much of anything except the worry he felt thinking about hazel. over the phone they sounded different, their tone seemed dull and their words were short. the words "i love you" being the last he heard from hazel and then radio silence.
the poor boy didn't understand nor could he take the scenarios that were playing out in his head. his insecurities manifesting into fears about the two of you. was paradise collapsing before his eyes ? he tried to distract himself, being in the company of hayden and lana.
the distance between dominic and hazel filled them both up with an ache in their chest they couldn't stand. the only thing keeping hazel sane was knowing, this was temporary.