An insight into the life of Drew and Adam. And trust me, their home life's not great at all…

Even before he reached the front door of their blue two-story house, Drew could hear his step-dad, Adam's dad, fighting. Not the little kid father/son arguing; but the real deal. Like objects being thrown, screaming at the top of their lungs, tears, names being called, the whole nine. Gripping the doorknob, Drew let out a deep breath and prepared for the worse.

"I don't understand why you just won't leave me alone!" Adam had screamed as soon as Drew walked in the door. They were in the living room, Adam was behind the couch, letting that be the barrier between him and his father. Adam was crying, like usual. Looking around the room, Drew seen the empty bottle of Whiskey on the coffee table. Their Dad was drunk.

Throwing his book bag on the floor, Drew entered the room.

"Can you guys knock it off?" Drew shouted over them.

They both stopped and looked over at him. Their father wiped his mouth and stumbled toward him. Once close enough, he pressed his finger into Drew's shoulder.

"Stay out of this. This is none of your business," he slurred, his hot breath slapping Drew in the face.

Backing up, Drew moved a little closer to Adam .

"You okay?" Drew asked in a soft and concerned voice. Adam could only nod. He was scared.

Adam's step-mom, Drew's mom, was way on business as usual. This gave their dad the opportunity to go all out. He'd been like this for days. It's like he can never come to the conclusion that Adam is just being who he wants to be and yelling at him and hitting him for it is not going to change that.

Drew gestured to the stairs behind him.

"Maybe you should go upstairs, Adam," Drew softly commands. His eyes shift to their father then back at Adam who hasn't moved a muscle.

"You stay your ass right there!" their drunken father barked, pointing at Adam.

Drew stepped back, feeling his heart beat speed up. He was scared, too, that's obvious. But he wasn't going to let their father get to Adam. Not without a fight, that is.

Drew put both his hands out, blocking his father's way as much as he could.

"Go, Adam. Now!"

Moving quickly, Adam raced up to about half way when he turned around expecting his brother to be following behind him. When he seen him still trying to block his father, he called out to him.

"Drew," he called, his voice full of worry. "C'mon." He waved his hand frantically.

He could see Drew shake his head.

"Just go, Adam," Drew says. "I'll be okay. I-"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence before he was rammed by their father into the wall, trying to get past him. His head slammed onto the wall with a loud thug, knocking a family photo off the wall, breaking it.

With that, Adam ran up to he and Drew's room and locked the door.

"Leave him alone!" Drew shouted. He rubbed the back of is head and pulled it away slowly, noticing blood on the tip of his fingers.

Their father stopped and turned back to him.

"Why are you always trying to stick up for that- that faggot?"

Drew felt a stab in the heart from the sting in his step-dad's words.

"Don't call him that," he mumbled, pushing himself to his feet.

His father stumbled back to him, his hands balled into fists.

"Adam's just being who he is. There's nothing wrong with that," Drew continued. He looked down at his father hand and felt himself gasp when he seen his fists. He began to back away slowly, but his step-father kept coming toward him.

"What gives you the right to talk to me like that?" he asks.

Before Drew could even attempt to answer, he felt his step-fathers strong hand come across his face, stinging his cheek. As a reflex, he pushed his stepfather back, but soon regretted it.

He was pushed into the wall again, and punched several times.

"I won't take any of that talk from you or you goddamned sister!"

Another punch to the side of his face.

Drew covered his head.

"He's a boy and you know it!" he challenged back. "And so what if he wants to be a girl or thinks of himself as a girl? So what!"

Another punch, this time it knocked Drew to the floor. He put his hand up to the side of his lip, feeling blood flowing freely down his chin.

He looked up at his father, his eyes watering from the pain.

Letting him go, his stepfather backed way.

"Get up," he demanded.

Trying not to get hit again, Drew forced himself to his feet.

His stepfather pointed to the stairs.

"Go, get out of my sight," he barked.

Taking the opportunity, Drew exited the living room as quick as he could, pressing the end of his shirt to his bleeding lip.

Drew pushed open the door to he and Adam's room.

"You didn't have to do that," Adam says, tears running down his face.

Drew plopped down on his bed, still holding his lip.

"Do what?" he mumbled back.

Adam stood, walking over to Drew's bed. "Stand up for me like that. You don't have to do it anymore."

"I always stand up for you, Adam," Drew stated, rubbing the side of his head. He heard Adam gasp.

"You bleeding," he whispers, walking over to the closet to get a towel.

Pressing it to his head, Drew sighs. "Don't worry about it, okay. I'll be alright."

"Don't worry about it?" Adam repeats, sitting on the bed.

"Dad just used you like a human punching bag and you're gonna tell me not to worry about it?"

Drew shrugs. "That's what I said…"

Adam lays down next to Drew.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes.

Keeping even pressure on his lip, Drew asks, "For what?"

"You know what. For making Dad mad. For having you take the punishment for me. For being like this…"

"Don't be ashamed of who you are, okay?" Drew cut in. He put his arm around Adam's shoulder. "I like you just the way you are."

"But it's not just Dad. It's every one-"

"Then you tell me, okay? I'll take care of it."

Adam shook his head, feeling tears form in his eyes. Drew rubbed his eye, determined not to cry.

"I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you, Adam. Not anymore."

Hope you liked it.

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