Pumpkin Pie 4
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Pre-NIEE: Real World AU
Challenges: Pumpkin Pie 4 (bump in the night), Green Tea 30 (time’s up), Papaya 1 (because I said so)
Toppings & Extras: Whipped Cream (Ani’s 2, Sorin 6, Vlad 8), Chopped Nuts (RWAU)
Word Count:
Rating: PG-13/R (Warning: Child abuse)
Summary: In the Opalin household, everyone knows what goes bump in the night (and often during the day too).
Notes: Winter, 1997. Some things don’t change, even in an AU. This prompt couldn’t really be used for anything else. Sorry for the serious swing!
Sorin lay in bed, staring at his ceiling.
“Sorin, you’re over at my house every week, why can’t I go play at yours or spend the night with you?”
The boy wished he could tell Ren, his best friend since before Kindergarten had even started, the truth, but how could he possibly explain the man downstairs to anyone?
He closed his eyes, listening to the screaming echoing up the stairs. Another business deal gone bad, no doubt, and his step-father, or guardian or whatever Edward Opalin was officially, was on a bender as he tried to patch the deal. Sorin had known things were bad when he had gotten home from afterschool care to discover Ani absent, which meant Edward had not picked the two-year-old up from daycare. The next clue was the ominous silence that snuck into every nook and cranny of the house.
He and Vlad had exchanged a glance. “Might as well get it over with before he gets too far gone,” his older brother said. Edward required that the two boys reported on their school day each afternoon before they were to go to their room to promptly complete their homework.
“He needs to go pick up Ani too,” Sorin said, setting his backpack very neatly by the stairs where it was allowed to remain only through the report. Vlad followed suit and then trailed him into Edward’s study.
The man sat in his chair in front of a roaring fire, a glass of most likely scotch in one hand, the other irritably tapping away at the table pulled close.
“Father, we’re home,” Vlad said.
Edward grunted without looking up from his paperwork and flapped a hand at them. Sorin breathed a sigh of relief. For now, at least, he was more focused on whatever was bothering him than his sons. The hand usually meant report so both quickly sketched out how their day had gone, keeping to the pertinent points - any behavior issues, grades on returned assignments, etc. Luckily, there were no problems to report.
“Good. Now leave,” Edward said.
“Sir,” Sorin spoke up, hating how he almost didn’t, “Anica’s still at daycare,” he said, careful to use her full name.
The man’s eyebrows snapped together and he finally looked up. “And?”
The six-year-old braced himself. “They said they would report you if you were after hours again, sir.” Some days, he wished they would, but he had read everything he could at the local library about foster care and the system and was too afraid the three of them would be split up to risk it.
Edward’s eyes narrowed. “Fine.” He stood and brushed past them, aiming a: “Your homework had better be done when I get home,” after him.
Sorin’s hadn’t been and he knew that was his second strike. As careful as he had been at dinner, he suspected he had picked up a third strike whether his fault or not.
He came back to the present as the shouting abruptly quieted. Not five minutes later, he heard footsteps coming heavily up the stairs. Swallowing hard, he squeezed his eyes shut, crossing his fingers under his blanket. Then their door slammed open. Vlad, across the room, shot bolt-upright and Sorin followed suit a bit slower.
“Get up,” Edward ordered, words clear. That’s what hurt the most, Sorin thought. That Edward could do this not just to him, but his own blood children even when he wasn’t completely gone.
He slid out of bed, Vlad mirroring his actions across the room, watching both his brother and father warily.
“You think you can tell me what to do in my house?” Edward asked as he advanced on the six-year-old.
“No, sir,” Sorin said quickly, but the man had already grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him hard into the wall.
Then he leaned in close. “That is exactly what you did tonight.”
“Father, if you had been late picking up Anica,” Vlad started but bit back his words as Edward looked at him.
“Hold your tongue, Vladimir. I will deal with you in a minute.” He shook Sorin hard. “I swear, boy, if you do something like that again, you will regret it forever. Do you understand?” Edward now let go and stepped back, unbuckling his belt.
Sorin knew what that meant and automatically dropped his pajama bottoms and braced himself on the wall. “Yes, sir,” he mumbled, already biting his lip. Crying obviously or whining only got you more. He’d learned that lesson years before. The first strike caught him by surprise and it was all he could do not to yell out loud. Nine more and there came a blissful break.
“Vladimir, come here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sorin heard the shuffle of feet indicating his brother was coming to join them. He didn’t dare move until Edward gave him the okay, rear end on fire and the backs of his legs freezing in the cool air. “Sorin, turn around.” As soon as the boy had, Edward spoke. “I expect better obedience out of you.”
“Yes, sir,” he said, knowing school the next day would be impossible and painful. As frequent an occurrence as this was, it never got any easier to sit in an unpadded chair when his butt was one giant welt and bruise.
“I mean it, boy.”
“Yes, sir,” he repeated.
“Good. Bed, now, until your alarm, understand?”
It had to be after midnight. Sorin had no intention of moving from his bed until his alarm went off far too soon. “Yes, sir.” He tugged up his pajamas and went over to his bed, pausing to wince as he heard the first smack of the belt hitting flesh. He climbed in and burrowed under the covers, listening to Edward give Vlad the same lecture before releasing him. Then the door slammed shut behind him, leaving them in blissful quiet.
Sorin pulled the covers up over his head. “That. That’s why, Ren,” he whispered.
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Pre-NIEE: Real World AU
Challenges: Pumpkin Pie 4 (bump in the night), Green Tea 30 (time’s up), Papaya 1 (because I said so)
Toppings & Extras: Whipped Cream (Ani’s 2, Sorin 6, Vlad 8), Chopped Nuts (RWAU)
Word Count:
Rating: PG-13/R (Warning: Child abuse)
Summary: In the Opalin household, everyone knows what goes bump in the night (and often during the day too).
Notes: Winter, 1997. Some things don’t change, even in an AU. This prompt couldn’t really be used for anything else. Sorry for the serious swing!
Sorin lay in bed, staring at his ceiling.
“Sorin, you’re over at my house every week, why can’t I go play at yours or spend the night with you?”
The boy wished he could tell Ren, his best friend since before Kindergarten had even started, the truth, but how could he possibly explain the man downstairs to anyone?
He closed his eyes, listening to the screaming echoing up the stairs. Another business deal gone bad, no doubt, and his step-father, or guardian or whatever Edward Opalin was officially, was on a bender as he tried to patch the deal. Sorin had known things were bad when he had gotten home from afterschool care to discover Ani absent, which meant Edward had not picked the two-year-old up from daycare. The next clue was the ominous silence that snuck into every nook and cranny of the house.
He and Vlad had exchanged a glance. “Might as well get it over with before he gets too far gone,” his older brother said. Edward required that the two boys reported on their school day each afternoon before they were to go to their room to promptly complete their homework.
“He needs to go pick up Ani too,” Sorin said, setting his backpack very neatly by the stairs where it was allowed to remain only through the report. Vlad followed suit and then trailed him into Edward’s study.
The man sat in his chair in front of a roaring fire, a glass of most likely scotch in one hand, the other irritably tapping away at the table pulled close.
“Father, we’re home,” Vlad said.
Edward grunted without looking up from his paperwork and flapped a hand at them. Sorin breathed a sigh of relief. For now, at least, he was more focused on whatever was bothering him than his sons. The hand usually meant report so both quickly sketched out how their day had gone, keeping to the pertinent points - any behavior issues, grades on returned assignments, etc. Luckily, there were no problems to report.
“Good. Now leave,” Edward said.
“Sir,” Sorin spoke up, hating how he almost didn’t, “Anica’s still at daycare,” he said, careful to use her full name.
The man’s eyebrows snapped together and he finally looked up. “And?”
The six-year-old braced himself. “They said they would report you if you were after hours again, sir.” Some days, he wished they would, but he had read everything he could at the local library about foster care and the system and was too afraid the three of them would be split up to risk it.
Edward’s eyes narrowed. “Fine.” He stood and brushed past them, aiming a: “Your homework had better be done when I get home,” after him.
Sorin’s hadn’t been and he knew that was his second strike. As careful as he had been at dinner, he suspected he had picked up a third strike whether his fault or not.
He came back to the present as the shouting abruptly quieted. Not five minutes later, he heard footsteps coming heavily up the stairs. Swallowing hard, he squeezed his eyes shut, crossing his fingers under his blanket. Then their door slammed open. Vlad, across the room, shot bolt-upright and Sorin followed suit a bit slower.
“Get up,” Edward ordered, words clear. That’s what hurt the most, Sorin thought. That Edward could do this not just to him, but his own blood children even when he wasn’t completely gone.
He slid out of bed, Vlad mirroring his actions across the room, watching both his brother and father warily.
“You think you can tell me what to do in my house?” Edward asked as he advanced on the six-year-old.
“No, sir,” Sorin said quickly, but the man had already grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him hard into the wall.
Then he leaned in close. “That is exactly what you did tonight.”
“Father, if you had been late picking up Anica,” Vlad started but bit back his words as Edward looked at him.
“Hold your tongue, Vladimir. I will deal with you in a minute.” He shook Sorin hard. “I swear, boy, if you do something like that again, you will regret it forever. Do you understand?” Edward now let go and stepped back, unbuckling his belt.
Sorin knew what that meant and automatically dropped his pajama bottoms and braced himself on the wall. “Yes, sir,” he mumbled, already biting his lip. Crying obviously or whining only got you more. He’d learned that lesson years before. The first strike caught him by surprise and it was all he could do not to yell out loud. Nine more and there came a blissful break.
“Vladimir, come here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sorin heard the shuffle of feet indicating his brother was coming to join them. He didn’t dare move until Edward gave him the okay, rear end on fire and the backs of his legs freezing in the cool air. “Sorin, turn around.” As soon as the boy had, Edward spoke. “I expect better obedience out of you.”
“Yes, sir,” he said, knowing school the next day would be impossible and painful. As frequent an occurrence as this was, it never got any easier to sit in an unpadded chair when his butt was one giant welt and bruise.
“I mean it, boy.”
“Yes, sir,” he repeated.
“Good. Bed, now, until your alarm, understand?”
It had to be after midnight. Sorin had no intention of moving from his bed until his alarm went off far too soon. “Yes, sir.” He tugged up his pajamas and went over to his bed, pausing to wince as he heard the first smack of the belt hitting flesh. He climbed in and burrowed under the covers, listening to Edward give Vlad the same lecture before releasing him. Then the door slammed shut behind him, leaving them in blissful quiet.
Sorin pulled the covers up over his head. “That. That’s why, Ren,” he whispered.