Requested
Warnings: bullying, violence (shoving)
Word count: 1 746
If you were being honest, being back in your hometown was not nearly as traumatizing as you had assumed it would be. Christmas had pulled you back into this tiny town in which your family still lived. For years you had managed to avoid it, always finding an excuse for your parents to come visit you instead, but this year you had finally decided to face the demons of your past.
The resentment about your hometown was not, as for many other people, grounded in a bad relationship with your family, but rather the unpleasant time of high school. Everyone, literally everyone in the whole town, had always known that you were the involuntary social outcast, the favourite victim of the bullies at school, and too weak (you preferred the word gentle) to save yourself. Even though everyone had known, nobody had ever made a move to help you, and your parents had been shut down by the school's director, saying you had no prove for what you claimed the other students to have done. And since there was no other school in town and your parents could not afford to home school you, you somehow had learned to survive.
So there was a very good reason indeed why you had never been keen on returning here. As mentioned, the town was small, and chances were that you would stumble into some of your former bullies, or at least a cheering bystander as soon as you left the house. But when you had come home for Christmas, you had not come alone.
During your time away, you had started working for the cartoon network in New York, where you had gotten to know your adorable co-worker Gerard, who you now dated. That he wanted to stay in the relationship, even after he and the band, which he had founded a couple of years back, had made it big, was still a miracle to you, but you definitely did not complain; you loved him.
Now, against all better judgement, you had agreed to do the grocery shopping for your mother. She was already busy decorating, and sending out last minute cards, while simultaneously stressing out over getting the house clean before your grandparents arrived tomorrow morning. So you had figured taking that burden off her shoulders would be the least you could do, especially since the main Christmas grocery shopping was already done, and you only needed to get food for the following days, making sure you would not have to bother with going to the supermarket while you would rather have a peaceful time together.
Of course you had immediately told Gerard he would have to accompany you, which he enthusiastically did. Right now he had disappeared to the section of cereal, eager to choose something for your whole family, while you had continued to the snacks.
Slowly walking along the shelves, you once again wondered why one company produced three different kinds of crisps all with the same flavour. Rummaging through your memories you tried to recall the brand name your brother had mentioned as his favourite yesterday evening, when suddenly you heard someone walk up to you. Assuming it was just a person looking for a specific kind of food, like people do in supermarkets, you took a small step to the side to let them pass, but did not look up.
From the corner of your eye you saw the person had stopped right next to you, leaving not even a dozen inches between you. Normally you would have felt a little uncomfortable due to a lack of personal space, and continued your day, but now the person did not turn to the shelf, the tips of their shoes pointing straight at you. And these were not Gerard's shoes.
A feeling, which you had not felt in years, overcame you, your instincts telling you to run as fast as possible, but instead you slowly looked up.
"That's not the way to greet your old friends, (y/n)."
The voice had gotten deeper, but the snarling and dripping venom were the same as back in school. Looking up completely, you found a group of four men blocking the aisle. Their faces looked older, more grown up, more dangerous than what they had looked a couple of years back when you had last seen them. But there was no doubt; these were the same people who had made your life hell.
"You just left without saying goodbye," said the one standing directly behind Hunter, who was their leader.
"We thought we could give you a proper send off on prom night, but you never showed up," Hunter added, making the men behind him laugh.
Truth be told, you did not want to know what they had had in mind for you back then.
"But there's plenty of time for that now, right?"
As if they were remote controlled, they all took a step towards you at the same time, but you did not step back. Never mind Hunter was almost standing chest to chest with you now, you were sick of their stupid games, terribly scared too, but most of all pissed off.
"Leave me alone," you hissed at them, surprised by how confident you sounded.
"Oh, what's this, little (y/n) got feisty while away," Rick, who stood further in the back, laughed, "you should learn to shut your mouth."
"Fuck off," you just mumbled, and turned your back to them, trying to walk away from them.
But of course that did not work. It might have worked with normal people, but not with guys as fucked up as these four.
You had not even taken three steps, when a hand landed on your shoulder, and pulled you pack, forcefully slamming you into the packed shelf, causing several bags of snacks to tumble to the floor. Instinctively you curled into a small ball, immediately protecting face and stomach, as years of their torment had taught you; but before the first painful kick, which you expected to hit, found you, a voice sounded through the aisle, and your heart immediately jumped to your throat.
"Touch them, and you'll regret it."
Gerard's voice usually was not very impressive, but years of screaming around on stage had given him the skill to sound dangerous, and luckily only you and him knew that he was bluffing.
On the one hand you were incredibly happy that he was there, by your side to help and protect you, but on the other hand you were scared what these men would do to him. He was great with words and all, but if he would have to defend himself he would probably be even worse off than you; he was just a gigantic teddy bear, and today he even almost looked like one, wearing the hand knitted sweater his grandma had made for him.
"What d'you want?"
"I want you to fuck off, unless you want the police to pick you up here. They're on their way."
Gerard sounded calm, as his steps approached you, making your bullies move away from you simultaneously.
"Seriously dude?"
"You heard me, they're on their way."
Calmly he knelt down next to you, carefully placing his hand on your back, and only then you felt that he was shaking.
"Why'd you call them, what'd you tell them?"
Hunter was almost shouting, not out of anger, but out of what sounded like fear, and made you even take a careful glance at them.
"That my partner is being violently attacked by four men in the supermarket..."
The only sounds that followed Gerard's pretty relaxed statement were those of shoes rapidly clacking against the tiles of the floor as the men ran away.
"Did you really call the police," you wondered, slowly allowing yourself to relax.
"I tried, but the line is occupied," Gerard admitted, grinning gently at you. "Did they hurt you?"
Helping you up, he worriedly glanced up, and down your body.
"I'm fine I think," you answered. Your back hurt a little from where you had been slammed into the shelf, but your thick winter jacket had blocked the worst. "They gave me a good scare though."
"Me too," Gerard agreed, "I always thought you were being a bit overdramatic with all the bullying, you know, distorted perception due to trauma or something, but hell, this is worse than what you ever told me!"
"Everything alright lovelies?"
An elderly lady, dressed in the uniform of the supermarket, peeked around the corner into the aisle.
"Yeah, we just-"
"Oh, don't think I don't know. These boys have been terrorizing the town for years." Quickly she hurried over, and Gerard and you helped her collect the bags with crisps, which had fallen out of the shelf, off the floor. "They are well known to the sheriff, and that Hunter is on probation, so if he gets into trouble again, he's going to jail for a while."
Gerard and you exchanged glances, obvious that neither of you minded if Hunter would be locked away.
After the lady had helped you find the brand of snacks your brother liked so much, and had recommended some of her favourite post-Christmas crisps, you headed back to your shopping cart, and soon made your way over to the register, where the lady, who had introduced herself as Maggie, helped you check out.
"Here, for you," you handed her a five dollar bill after you had paid, "Merry Christmas."
Not waiting for her to break in a huge smile you turned, and started walking away, only seeing Gerard smile widely, and wave good bye at the lady.
"She sometimes gave us lollies for free," you explained, once you had walked up to your car, "I don't think she remembers me, but I sure remember her. Also five dollars probably won't make up for all the lollies she gave me."
Gerard chuckled, and helped you load the groceries into the car.
"People like that are the backbone of our nation," he agreed, and both of you laughed.
After everything was stored away, you got into the car, and turned on radio and heating. Slowly you drove off the parking lot, careful not to slip in the snow that had started falling. Maybe the incident in the store had not been necessary, but at least you were not afraid of coming back home now, knowing that Gerard would always be by your side to help you.