WHITE PICKET FENCE 2/?

[perfectfigure]

Trigger warning in later parts for mention of abuse.

Regular warnings for relatively non-explicit sexy times.

(BTW, I have about 22,000 words of this already finished, but I have a habit of burning out on stories about 2/3 of the way through before finally getting back and finishing them, which is kind of where I am with this piece.)

Comments

[ansur2]

Part of me really wants to encourage you to continue writing/editing/posting "The Crumbs That Fall," but more of me wants to read more of this story. XD

The foreshadowing surrounding the foster father is pretty blatant, but it only makes Tyler's innocence and Nick's hands-off attitude about their relationship that more obvious. Though Nick might be aware of the budding emotional relationship beyond friendship, he's obviously not paying much attention to Tyler himself.

Which is good, because at this point, Nick is too perfect for my tastes. I'm glad he's comfortable with his son potentially being gay, but that's just because I want him to be. Him having some prejudice would be normal for a guy his age where he's living; or not even anti-gay prejudice, but something. He's a good guy, but every hero has a flaw (and every human has more than just one). :p

But otherwise, so so good!

[perfectfigure]

The foreshadowing surrounding the foster father is pretty blatant,

I know it comes across like this to a lot of people, but the thing is, abuse usually is that blatant -- it's just that no one wants to see it, so they don't. (And, lol, it's funny how my stories always have these kinds of similar themes, even if they are in the background like in this one. I think a psych grad student could do a dissertation on that shit.) I was beat up, malnourished, and sexually abused, and no one noticed. It wasn't until I flat out told someone that I thought my father was going to kill me that any adults went "o, I guess something was kinda weird..."

Him having some prejudice would be normal for a guy his age where he's living

Unsurprising, but not required. One of my partners is around Nick's age, from east Texas, and we live in the Bible Belt now; plenty of his peers don't bat an eye at the queers. (OTOH, plenty of them are raging fucknecks, but you get that at every age, I guess.) Nick is a Good Guy. He does his best. But no one is pure.

[ansur2]

Until my (then 5 year-old) sister pointblank told my mother, she probably wouldn't have known for a few more years about my dad. The physical/emotional abuse was more than enough cover for the sexual stuff - the resulting social work and sobriety helped all of it at least until we were older and able to escape more readily. So, yeah, I see what you mean.

And I can see how Nick's instinct (not the right word) to not ask questions or talk to Elliot outright about things is a flaw. but he is a teacher, so...there's still time!

[ansur2]

Er, that was me. :)