salvation sequel [rafe x barry]

long long way from home

"I will not let this river break me just so God can have something to heal"

Rafe knew he wasn't the one to judge whether Barry's actions had been justified or not. Not for having done much worse, but simply for the offhand fact that he wasn't the sanest in the head to make accurate judgements about such things.

At least, that's what Barry told him. He told him plenty of stuff, and Rafe only listen to half, and replied to none of it.

"You know how that fucking feels when you get inside your head and leave me alone out here, huh?"

"You'on know what's good for you, Country Club, but I do"

"These things don't get better by running from them, alright, maybe a few days sober will have you realize"

"Think I like having to push it on you? You just need to learn to fucking listen, bro"

"Hey! Where you at", Barry asked suddenly and pressed his head forward with his fingers spread at the back of his skull to shake him slightly, indicating he meant inside his head.

"Yeah", Rafe said, after not having spoke for half an hour, gaze somewhere frozen to the ground. "You're right"

"Rafe that's exactly what the fuck I'm talking about"

"Oh", Rafe made and nodded in agreement. "Yeah"

Barry sighed, slightly shaking his head. "What were you just thinking about, bro?"

Rafe hated the spotlight it put him on, he would've rather had Barry's rambling as background noise to his thoughts for a while longer.

He gazed up from under his eyebrows, displaying slight annoyance. "Drugs", he admitted.

This day, it felt like an eternity until Rose finally called for the family dinner. Those things had already been unbearable before they got here, and Sarah missing from the picture didn't even make it any better.

It was simply just the worst time of the day, on he began to avoid almost religiously once he grew old enough to skip out on fights over the wide dining table at Tanneyhill. Looking back, he couldn't remember a single time his whole family spent together around that table where no one made a snarky comment towards one another. And yet Ward insisted on these kind of routines that implied the perfect fucking family.

Rose put down a few plates she'd lovingly dumped the contents of take out boxes onto, before silently setting the drinks she had prepared down at their places. "Aww!", Wheezie made at her soda, garnished with intricately shaped ice cubes, carefully cut lime and the spiral of a lemon zest, topped off with a cute straw.

Rafe didn't exactly get the time to marvel at her manifestation of utter boredom in his own drink, Barry had snatched it along with his own, dumping the whole thing into the sink. "Thanks, but Rafes not drinking that", he apologized politely.

Rafe chewed at the inside of his cheek. Rose's surprised face was an insult to him, and he nodded. "Yeah, you know, cause I'm not a fucking alcoholic like other people in this household, alright"

He reached for Wheezies glass across the table, snatching it from her. "I prefer soda"

Raised his eyebrows at Rose, pulling on the pink straw. He'd rather fucking die than admit Barry had a fucking say in what he drank, or did. But it looked like, maybe she understood exactly, eyes traveling between Barry and Rafe, and a barley noticeable smile of satisfaction settling on her lips.