The summer before sophomore year of college / Age 19...
By the time Vincent gets home from work, he is utterly exhausted. He practically drags his feet as he walks through his apartment, loosening his tie in the process. He lazily puts some water in a pot to boil as he heads inside his bedroom to undress from the long work day.
Although Vincent is studying under an education major in college, every free moment that he has in his hometown is spent working as a data entry clerk. Vincent is living paycheck to paycheck just to keep up with his apartment and all his food expenses.
Hayden has begged Vincent to come live with him and keeps telling him that he doesn't have to do everything alone, but he just doesn't get it. The two have had multiple fights about this because Hayden doesn't realize that Vincent is at peace with the independence. All of last summer, Vincent relied on Scott and Hayden after his parents kicked him out, but he physically couldn't live like that anymore. He needed to grow up and do things by himself because that's how he was raised, even if he is barely getting by.
By the time he is walking into the kitchen with a fresh pair of clothes, Vincent laughs to himself when he finds that Hayden has already been blowing up his phone, dying to either see him or hear his voice.
Vincent nearly jumps when a particularly loud rumble of thunder shakes his house. It has been pouring rain all day, and that definitely wasn't doing anything to help anyone's mood at the office.
After pouring pasta into the boiling water and heating up some Alfredo sauce on the side, Vincent sits on a barstool, prepared to shoot Hayden a couple of textsâone including whether or not he has eaten yet.
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
Hey, you hungry?
Are you making something good?
Yeah, it's your favorite
Is it that really good Pad Thai?
Sorry, I meant your favorite American dish
Silly Vinny, pasta is from Italy
Close enough
Are you going to be here soon?
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Before Vincent gets a chance to respond to Hayden, a mysterious phone call from an unknown number pops up on his screen. Rolling his eyes at the notion of talking to someone new, he answers and puts the phone up to his ear.
"Um, hello?"
"Yes, is this Vincent Russell?" the unknown voice says.
"Yeah..."
"I'm calling on behalf of Eden General Hospital."
"Okay..."
"You are listed here as one of Kane Russell's emergency contacts, so I'm sorry to inform you that he has suffered a serious cerebrovascular accident. His vitals are currently unstable, but we are trying our best to get it under control. I would start heading this way in case anything happens."
"Oh, um...okay. Thank you for letting me know," Vincent answers, bunching up his eyebrows at the onslaught of information.
The phone call goes dead, and for a second, all Vincent can do is watch the water boil over in his pot as equal parts of panic and indifference seize his mind and body.
Why should he care?
Kane was the one who stood by and watched Vincent get kicked out of his own house. Kane was the one who was also hounding him every second of his youth to be better, to be someone better than what he is now as if he was never good enough.
...But at the same time, his dad is the one who still has him listed on his emergency contacts. Kane is the one who secretly orchestrates phone calls so that Vincent can keep contact with his siblings behind Ana's back. Kane is the one who, although doing things so far below the bare minimum, is trying to keep up with the life of his oldest son.
Vincent doesn't want to care about him, but he does. He so desperately fucking does.
Vincent can't erase all the sweet moments that he shared with his dad when he was younger like their little bedtime stories and all the traditional games taught to him that still remind him of happier times.
...And when Vincent thinks about the idea of losing his father, a knife lodges itself so far into Vincent's heart that he can barely breathe.
Vincent gulps painfully as he finally gets a grip. He practically clambers over to the stove to take off the pots, not even bothering to deal with the food inside them as he dashes toward the door to get his keys. Vincent just barely manages to grab a jacket and put matching shoes on as he traverses through the storm and inside his car.
God, please be okay.
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When Hayden is immersed in lively conversation with Scott while awaiting the arrival of his boyfriend, he is cut off by demanding knocks on the door.
"Told you the boogeyman was after me," Hayden laughs.
Scott rolls his eyes as Hayden jumps up and heads to the door.
What he doesn't expect to find is Vincent trembling in soaking-wet clothing as the storm rages behind him. It's an unusual sight to see Vincent as anything less than calm and put together, so as he is standing before Hayden with his hair pitifully fused to his forehead and his eyes red-rimmed, Hayden doesn't know what to think.
"Vinny," Hayden breathes worriedly, shutting the door behind him as he meets Vincent outside.
Hayden instantly reaches for Vincent's cheeks, his chest hurting with the way that he can tell that he has been crying. And Vincent never cries, especially not in front of Hayden, so something must be seriously wrong.
"I-I need you...to..." Vincent says shakily, unable to finish his sentence as he chokes back his distress.
"What?" Hayden urges softly, wrapping Vincent in his protective warmth when he patiently gives his boyfriend his full attention, not turning this defenseless moment into a silly matter despite that being his best feature.
"The hospital," Vincent says, almost inaudibly. "M-My dad...h-he..." Vincent takes a deep breath. "Can you come with me...p-please?"
"Of course," Hayden says with a sad smile. "Let me just tell my dad real quick. I'll be right back."
He gives Vincent a loving kiss on the cheek before making his way inside.
Scott instantly looks at him in question, knowing that his son's mood has changed in a matter of seconds.
"Vincent's dad is in the hospital," Hayden explains hastily as he runs to the laundry room to grab a new jacket for Vincent, one that isn't soaked with rainwater. "We are about to head up there."
"Oh, god," Scott answers with concern laced in his tone. "Make sure to keep me updated. And if you guys need me to bring you anythingâfood, clothes, whatever you needâjust let me know."
"Okay," Hayden nods, strolling across the room to give his dad a big hug because you never know how unpredictable life can be.
Hayden then easily exits the house.
Scott sighs as he begins to pray for Vincent. That poor kid has been through every unimaginable thing possible, but he's glad that Hayden is there to support him.
Although Vincent and Hayden haven't explicitly told Scott that they are dating, he already knows. It wasn't hard to see when Hayden consistently smiles at his phone and always jumps at Vincent's attention.
Outside of the house, Hayden silently tries to comfort Vincent in any way that he can with his touch, but Vincent only has an empty look in his eyes. Hayden hates that because after dating him for a few months now, he knows that Vincent sometimes shuts down and won't let anyone in.
"Let me see your keys, Vinny," Hayden says softly.
He protests, "N-No, I can drivâ"
"Vinny," he whispers, putting his hand on his chest.
Vincent doesn't make eye contact with him.
"I'll drive, okay?" Hayden claims.
Vincent eventually nods, placing his keys into Hayden's palm.
The pair run out to the car. Once inside, Hayden immediately blasts the heat and urges Vincent out of his water-soaked jacket before handing him the new one.
The drive to the hospital is deathly silent.
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Vincent and Hayden are rushing through the heavy atmosphere encased by white walls. Vincent tries to turn a blind eye to weeping family members or others sitting with unease in the waiting room. The nurses infesting the place almost makes Vincent's mind feel muddled because he doesn't know how he is supposed to react.
When Vincent begins to falter under his thoughts, Hayden gently interlocks their hands while wrapping his other free hand around Vincent's bicep.
By the time they make it to the reception desk, Hayden is doing most of the talking. They are quickly directed to the place in question and waste no time before trying to get there.
Thankfully, by this time, Kane's vitals are stable, but he has yet to show any signs of waking up. Whenever the pair walks into the hospital room, Vincent almost thinks he is going to be sick when he sees all the wires hooked up to his father.
Nonetheless, Vincent is distracted by the unsettling spectacle when he sees the rest of his family gathered in the room.
Valerie practically throws herself off one of the hospital chairs as she clambers toward Vincent, overwhelmed by not seeing him in over a year. Hayden lets go of his hold on Vincent as he watches the two embrace so tightly and meaningfully.
"I m-missed you," Valerie cries into Vincent's shoulder.
"I missed you too, Val," Vincent breathes, his hand protectively resting on her head. "So much."
Hayden can't help but smile at their reunion, but he suddenly feels a tug on his shirt. He looks down expectantly to find Vance nervously chewing on his lip with open arms. Hayden chuckles before leaning down to hug Vance, fulfilling his request.
Taking Hayden by surprise, Vance then whispers in Hayden's ear, "I'm scared."
"It's okay to be scared," Hayden whispers back. "That doesn't make you any less brave."
Vance pulls away with a nod.
Hayden almost gets emotional at the fact that Vance feels safe enough to speak to him. Nonetheless, Hayden doesn't have time to tear up because Valerie is flinging herself into his arms as Vance reunites with his older brother.
"Hay Hay," Valerie bubbles cutely. "Have you been taking care of Vincent?"
"Yes," Hayden laughs gently.
"You promise?"
"Always."
The brief moment of happiness in the depressing room is instantly ruined when Ana can't watch the scene unfold any longer. She stands up from her chair and strolls over to Vincent.
"What do you think you are doing here?" Ana spits.
Vincent thought he wouldn't have to deal with his mother's absurdity when such a tragic event has happened, but she is still bitter as ever. His sad mind is forgotten as anger pushes to the forefront of his brain. Since when did he become the mature one out of the two?
"My own father is in the hospital," Vincent grits. "I have a right to be here."
Hayden grabs Vance and Valerie's hands, leading them over to the three unoccupied chairs in the hospital room. Hayden sits between the two and pops an earbud in each of their ears, playing a video on his phone to hopefully distract the two from not only the situation they don't quite understand with their dad but also the fight that is bound to happen between Vincent and Ana.
"How did you even find out?" Ana asks.
"Good to know that you would rather keep this a secret than tell me that my own father had a stroke," Vincent counters. "The hospital called and told me what happened."
Ana objects, "That's not possible unless you were on Kane's emergency contacts and I told him to take you off."
Vincent laughs in disbelief. "Well, he clearly didn't if I'm here, now did he?"
"I don't care," Ana scoffs. "Now leave."
"I'm not some little kid anymore who you can threaten and scare off with harsh words, Mother," Vincent argues. "Hell, you don't even have to talk to me. But I won't let you disrespect me again when you have no business trying to cut me out of something this important. Dad is unconscious and connected to about a dozen wires yet you are still worried about me. How fucking sad is that?"
"Vincent, don't you dare use that language toward me."
"Don't you dare try to order me around as if I'm not an adult," Vincent scowls.
Hayden tries not to focus too much on the tense conversation between Vincent and his mom, but how could he not? He's never actually seen Vincent interact with his parents besides that one time he was so blatantly hungover and Vincent got blamed for it, but watching the scene unfold in front of him is heartbreaking. He doesn't know much of what they are saying, but he doesn't have to understand to feel Vincent's anguish.
No wonder Vincent has a hard time showing his feelings and opening up because every little thing he did, he was ridiculed for. Not only that but when Hayden and his dad mutter small 'love you's to each other every time they depart, it looks like Vincent is trying to hide the fact that it causes him searing pain.
For someone who usually keeps Hayden in check and is so organized in every aspect of life, Hayden thinks it's equal parts amazing and depressing how fast Vincent's mood can change in the presence of his mother. Hayden realizes that it's so easy for Vincent to speak his mind and not give a fuck in public because he could never have the same attitude when he was at home.
Hayden rises from his chair when he can't handle it anymore. Maybe he has no business in family affairs, but he can't allow Vincent's misery anymore.
Hayden swiftly hands off his phone to the twins, who are thankfully still distracted. He then strides across the room to Vincent's side.
"I will never welcome you into my family again, and Iâwhat the hell do you think you are doing?" Ana snarls when Hayden steps close to Vincent.
"Don't talk to him like that," Vincent snaps, stepping forward angrily.
"Vinny," Hayden says softly as he places his hand over Vincent's erratically pounding heart. Hayden easily ignores Ana. "How about we take a walk?"
"We are not done here," Ana says. "Who do you think you are?"
"Vinny," Hayden repeats gently until Vincent's eyes slowly pan over to him. "Let's get a snack, okay?"
Vincent takes one last glance at his mom before storming out of the door. Hayden quickly follows, staying a couple of steps behind as he allows his boyfriend to cool off.
God, Hayden feels so helpless.
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By the time Hayden gets Vincent to calm down, almost a full hour passes. He may have had to quickly drive down the road and get Vincent's one true weaknessâa large milkshakeâbut at least he is back to his usual standoffish self. He even told Hayden to shut up at one point, which caused the latter to grin so brightly.
"Are you ready to go back in?" Hayden asks softly as they take yet another lap around the hospital.
"Nope," Vincent says shortly. "If I still haven't stopped thinking about shoving my mother in a box and shipping her to the motherland, then I'm not ready."
"Am I even allowed to laugh at that?" Hayden smiles.
Vincent laughs at the conflicted expression on his boyfriend's faceâas if Hayden doesn't already laugh at the worst possible times. Vincent's grin fades, though, when he realizes what Hayden just had to witness.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," Vincent sighs.
"It's okay," Hayden immediately answers, linking his arm with Vincent's playfully. "I mean...I don't have a mom, you know? I don't know what it's like, so I would never judge you."
Vincent nods, his steps slightly slowing so he can have a longer moment with Hayden before they reach the hospital room.
"It seems... complicated," Hayden continues when Vincent doesn't say anything. "I'm just feeling sad that I don't know how to help you."
"You're helping enough by being here."
A smirk grows on Hayden's face. "Am I?"
"Don't ruin it," Vincent says emotionlessly.
Hayden lets out a small laugh before quietly saying, "You're the strongest person I know."
Just when Vincent is feeling the slightest bit sappy, Hayden squeezes his bicep.
"Oh yeah, really damn strong."
Vincent flicks him on the forehead before saying, "We are in a hospital, for fuck's sake. Control your horny thoughts for once."
"Right," Hayden says, shaking away his train of thought. Instead, he asks, "Are you going to tell her?"
"Tell her what?" Vincent responds, pulling Hayden a little closer to him when he doesn't realize that he is about to walk straight into a cart.
"That we, um..."
"Are homosexuals?" Vincent finishes with a laugh.
"I was going to say something along the lines of dicking each other down, but that works too."
"Hayden. At the hospital," Vincent reminds, rolling his eyes with amusement.
"Right," Hayden nods insistently.
"Well..." Vincent starts. "If you are worried about me pulling away or becoming distant, you are about as smart as a pigeon."
"Vinny," Hayden huffs at the comment.
"Sorry," he says apologetically before continuing, knowing that sometimes his bluntness or mean words aren't necessary. "I just meant that you don't need to fret. I'm not going to act any different, so you don't have to either. If she doesn't catch on, oh well, and if she does, who gives a fuck?"
"Oh..." Hayden says. "I was just going to say that I understand if you wanted to, you know, keep quiet. Everyone is already stressed enough and I can't imagine what is going through your head."
"Wow, you actually are smart sometimes," Vincent teases.
"Excuse you, I'm smart all of the time," Hayden counters sassily. "You should be proud to have this genius as your boyfriend. I definitely have the potential to be the next president."
"Hm, I don't know about that," Vincent smiles. "But, Hayden, I'm not going to hide you." The couple stops right beside Vincent's dad's hospital room and Vincent looks at Hayden patiently. "As a matter of fact, I don't want to. I'm not embarrassed or ashamed of you and I'm waiting for you to realize that yourself. Does that make sense?"
Hayden gives Vincent a giddy smile, like a kid in a candy store. Hayden then, unable to control himself, circles his arms around Vincent's neck and kisses him sweetly. Their eyes drift shut as the pair folds under the guise of adoration in the quiet hospital hallways. Vincent breathes deeply, taking in Hayden as much as he can before he slowly pulls away, Hayden's lips fighting to chase his. Hayden's eyes happily flutter open and he can't help himself when he pecks the corner of Vincent's mouth.
Hayden is falling so deeply for Vincent. He can only hope his boyfriend feels the same.
"Are you ready now?" Hayden whispers.
Vincent nods before opening the door. Hayden follows him inside.
Ana is seated at Kane's bedside, running her thumb across the back of his hand. When she sees Vincent and Hayden enter the room, her peaceful expression becomes a harsh glare.
Vincent ignores it as he guides Hayden toward the back of the room. What he doesn't expect to find, though, is his grandma.
"Oh, there you are!" she says fondly, her short-form rushing to hug Vincent.
Vincent accepts the quick hug before Kane's mom is talking off his ear.
"Oh, you've gotten so big and strong! I just want to pinch those cheeks of yours," she grins. "I wish we could be meeting under better circumstances, but I'm just glad I get to see you again. You know, if you ever want to catch a flight back to your native lands, I can sneak you in my suitcase...oh! I'll even sneak you a little mimosa. Wait, you're of drinking age right? Oh, who cares? I was doing much worse at your age."
Vincent laughs, "Looks like you are still going full force, grandma."
"You know it," the woman winks. "Oh, darling, you have bags under your eyes. I should let you get some sleep. Do you want to take the other bed? Or should Iâ" Vincent's grandma finally notices Hayden standing silently behind her grandson. "Oh, who is this?"
"This is Hayden," Vincent explains, pulling his boyfriend in front of him to shake the woman's hand. "She wants to meet you."
"Oh," Hayden says in surprise, shaking the woman's hand despite not comprehending most things due to the language barrier.
"Oh, so handsome," Grandma dotes. "He should be a model."
"I'm definitely not telling him you said that," Vincent laughs. "Wait...why are you in America in the first place?"
"I have to fulfill my lifetime goal of hitting up a strip club in every state. They love me there!"
Jesus Christ, Vincent's grandma sure is a wild one.
"But enough about me," she chimes. "Go get some rest. You look like you need it."
Vincent nods before grabbing Hayden's shirt and leading him to the chairs where his siblings are barely hanging on to consciousness. Hayden silently grabs his phone and carefully plucks his earbuds out of Vance and Valerie's ears. Vincent gestures for Hayden to take the open seat while he swiftly picks up a drowsy Valerie, takes her seat, and rests her on his lap.
Hayden, feeling the effects of tiredness, lets out a yawn. Vance's eyes slip shut beside him and his head lolls onto Hayden's shoulder.
"Goodnight, Vinny."
"Goodnight," Vincent sweetly replies to his boyfriend.
Just before Hayden's mind succumbs to sleepiness, he subconsciously links his fingers with Vincent's...and it's at that moment that all hell breaks loose.
Ana's eyes snap wide open as she realizes the closeness of the two. A relationship like theirs is heavily looked down upon where she is from, so the affection from her son and the boy leaves her speechless and disappointed.
"Leave," Ana commands, glaring daggers at Hayden's brown eyes that pop wide open.
Hayden glances at Vincent with uncertainty.
"He's staying," Vincent fiercely says, tightening his fingers around Hayden's.
"Don't make me ask you again," Ana says with a scary tone, directly addressing Hayden. "Leave now before you disgrace my family any further."
"Oh, don't start, Ana," Vincent's grandmother chides.
"But Iâ"
"Leave them alone. They aren't hurting you anyway. If you learned to focus on yourself, maybe you wouldn't be such a miserable woman."
That shuts Ana down immediately.
Vincent smiles as he rests his head against Hayden's, catching the happy wink from his grandmother across the room and nodding gratefully. He is finally experiencing tranquility after this fucking mess of a day.
His eyes slip shut.
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Vincent wakes up in the middle of the night and is greeted with the steady beeps of his dad's heart monitor. He checks his phone and sees that it's a little past two a.m. Hayden is fast asleep, drooling onto his shoulder as his fingers are still lazily intertwined with Vincent's.
Vincent notices his mom asleep with her head buried into the side of his dad's leg. The little rascals are also still asleep as their snores alternate in the silent night.
Noticing the missing person, Vincent carefully gets out of his seat and exits the room. Just outside of the door, his grandma is seated on the floor, staring into space. Vincent sits next to her.
"What are you doing?" he asks with a yawn.
"I've been getting the good shit from some teenagers lately so I fear that I am an insomniac now."
"I don't know anyone doing it better than you, Grandma," Vincent chuckles.
"I know," she says smugly. "So...that boy in there," she begins. "Are you twoâwhat do the kids call it these days? Hooking up?"
"No," Vincent snorts. "He's my boyfriend."
"Ah," she muses. "So there are feelings involved as well? Look at me. I'm learning."
"You sure are."
A beat of silence passes between the two, before Vincent's grandmother says, "I would've killed to have what you two have at that age. I know young love when I see it. I know it's not socially acceptable to be in a relationship like yours where me, Kane, and Ana are from, but I'm starting to think that your generation just may be onto something with embracing differences. If you really like him, don't let Ana break apart what she doesn't understand."
"I wasn't planning on it," Vincent says confidently.
"Good, good. I don't know how my son fell for her because she honestly reminds me of a witch sometimes."
Vincent is unable to hold back a loud laugh, unknowing that Hayden is just beginning to wake up without feeling his boyfriend's warmth.
After not too long, Hayden slips out of the room to find Vincent and his grandma in conversation. He doesn't miss the smile on Vincent's face.
"Oh la la. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing that handsome face," Grandma snickers, playfully nudging Vincent.
Vincent rolls his eyes but pats the ground for Hayden to fill the space.
"Hello," Hayden says to Vincent's grandma, scrunching his eyebrows up as he tries to show Vincent the small amount that he has learned in his second language. "My n-name is...Hayden. I beâSorryâI am..." he points to Vincent, "friend."
"The fuck?"
Vincent's eyes widen. He doesn't know whether he should be more impressed at his nearly flawless pronunciation or the fact that he has been studying the language and kept it a secret when almost nothing is safe from his blabbing mouth.
"Nice...to meet...you," Hayden finishes, smiling to himself at his little accomplishment.
"Ooooh, he almost sounds like a native," Grandma smirks. "I like him. You should bring him around all the time."
Vincent can't help but grin and nod as he looks at Hayden with newfound admiration.
"He's a bit of a wild child," Vincent admits. "I'm sure that you two will get along great."
"That's what I like to hear," Grandma cheers.
Hayden's ears are completely open as he slowly tries to pick apart what they are saying. When Vincent sees his effort, he can't help but throw his arm around his waist and tug him closer. Hayden beams, knowing that Vincent is hardly ever the first one to be touchy.
"You know, Vincent, I heard about what went down between you and your parents. Kane confessed everything to me. I'll have you know that he feels guiltier than ever, but at the same time, I can't defend him because he has yet to prove his worth to you as a father. I'm not saying you have to forgive him, but I'm saying to give him the benefit of the doubt. I don't know if it's because of Ana or some shortcomings in himself, but he is secretly very proud of you. Much like I am too."
"Yeah, but I wouldn't want to be a secret," Vincent admits.
"Then that's okay. I'll respect any decision you make. I just thought I would get some words in before your father wakes up and your mother is suffocating him."
Vincent laughs, genuinely taking in all that she has told him. He has a lot to think about, but as of right now, he isn't going to worry about it.
"So..." the woman turns to Hayden expectantly, ready to test out his conversational skills. "How are you doing?"
After some thought, Hayden replies, and Vincent happily listens as his grandma tries to fry his boyfriend's brain in the middle of the night.
Vincent has never admitted it before, but yeah, he is feeling pretty damn lucky to have Hayden Williams at his side.