Memories

Brian and Sonny.

WARNINGS- all of it is a memory of physical and psychological child abuse. If
this disturbs you do not read it.

Brian absently ran his hand over an old scar on the back of his hand. Meeting up
with Mark had brought up a lot of memories he didn't want to face again.

His parents had died in a car crash when he was 6, he had no family extended or
otherwise, so he was placed into foster care. Het met Sonny in his first foster
family, and two hours before they were separated they'd become blood brothers.

They'd met again when they were 14. This was where Mark came into their lives,
as the natural son of their foster parents, Brad and Alice Counter. Brian had
learnt in his time in foster care to not get close to anyone. But he and Sonny
were different, they'd kept in touch by letter and their bond had remained
strong.

They were hellions and kept their foster parents very busy. More often than not
they drew Mark in as well. In the end Brad, the boys' foster father had resorted
to corporal punishment despite it being totally against the fostering rules.
Brian and Sonny kept it very quiet; they knew if it came to light they'd be
split up again.

They came out at 15.

"It's a phase you'll grow out of it," Alice assured the two boys.

"It's not a phase," Sonny replied stubbornly, "I'm gay. I like men not women."

"Don't speak to your mother like that," Brad growled, "We won't have talk like
that in this house."

"She's not my mother," Sonny spat and shrunk in behind Brian, when Brad raised
his fist.

Brian straightened up, he often protected Sonny, and he had a Knight errant
streak running through him. ""Hey calm down," he said, "Sonny is telling the
truth. We're gay. We've known it for years we just decided to come out."

"You just want him," Brad spat.

"God no," Brian was disgusted, "We're brothers plus after experimenting a bit,
we're both bottoms, I wouldn't know what to do if I had him."

That was the first time his foster father had hit him, it wasn't the last.

They started to stay out late, drinking and fighting. Brian started to smoke,
but neither got into drugs, except for the odd marijuana buzz. Some of the
school teachers were worried about the two boys showing up with bruises. They
just used to show them their bruised knuckles and deflect the questions. About
half the bruises Brian showed up with were courtesy of his foster father; trying
to convince him he liked girls.

Finally at sixteen it came to a head. Sonny had started having nightmares about
his first foster home where he had been horribly abused. In order to sooth him
Brian had got into bed with him.

Even more then 9 years later Brian shuddered.

The beating had been bad enough but the two hours spent in a dark cupboard had
been worse. Even now the smell of mould and spider webs could throw him back. He
got the scar on the hand by trying to batter his way out.

They had split Brian and Sonny up but they'd continued to meet up and raise hell
until Brian hooked up with Adam and had then set Sonny up with Eric.

When discussing the discipline partnership with Brian Sonny had asked how he
could allow it after what had happened to him at the hands of Brad Counter.
Brian had thought for a minute and said, "I choose to give the power over to
Adam. I have areas in my life I need some help with and consequences. I'm not
weak. I'm not incompetent. Adam is willing to catch me when I fall. Don't get me
wrong it hurts like hell when Adam punishes me but I know once I've paid the
slate is clean. Always remember Brats have the final say, until we're actually
over our Tops laps."

Brain remembered that talk with a crooked grin. He set his jaw, back in the day
Mark had been a pretty good friend, despite his father. He wouldn't forget his
past but he wouldn't let it ruin his current life. "Your round," he said to Mark
over the buzz of the pub.