Chapter 29: Liam

Ok I've procrastinated on this for two weeks. I think it's time I write lol. Thanks for yelling at me by the way lmao

Tw: bad parents, a coming-out gone wrong and verbal abuse (this is the only way I can describe it sorry-)

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"Reid? Are you okay?" I turn to see her staring at her hands folded in her lap. She's always quiet, but this is different somehow.

"W-what?" She looks up suddenly, registering my words. "Oh, uh, yeah. I'm totally fine." Her eyes are unfocused and distant.

"Are you sure? You don't look fine." I say again. I reach out to cover her hands with mine, stilling the constant shake.

"Liam." She says my name in a way that gives me pause, making me furrow my eyebrows and slowly retract my hand. "I'm fine, ok?" She goes silent after that. She turns her head, her snowy hair getting blown into her face.

I turn forwards again to see Kate in front of me throwing a concerned glance over her shoulder. I meet her eyes and she shrugs, turning away. I absentmindedly stroke the warm scales under me, feeling Amber's powerful muscles working to keep us all aloft in the sky. My mind wanders back to the island we had just left, the dirty people and streets, the sunken cheeks and protruding ribs, the crying children and the hopeless faces. I close my eyes, trying to shake the images away. One day I'll return. I'll return and help. But not today.

We ride until the sun is low in the sky, dipping beneath the waves on the horizon. Reid is quiet the entire time, not joining in our discussions or stories or games. She simply sits behind me, her head low, her face neutral and her hands shaking.

Just after dusk had fallen a small silhouette appeared on the horizon, surrounded by other small ones. We land on the tiny island, bearing only a small woods and a wide beach. The small islands scattered off its shores did not have enough room to make camp but were pretty to look at.

The moon was appearing onto its dark backdrop just as we were settling in around the small fire we had made on the beach. Kate was snuggled against Amber, the two having a quiet conversation of which I could only hear one side because a certain dragon was only speaking in Kate's mind. I perked up at the mention of my name, hearing something like "Liam? Amber come on are you being serious? I'm not…" and then her voice was carried away by the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore. The two giggled, a rare thing from Kate, and quickly hushed each other.

I kept my ears open after that, searching for my name but it never came up. Reid was sitting by herself on the other side of the fire, and didn't seem as if she wanted any company so I let her be. Deciding I wanted to talk to someone tonight, I haul myself onto my feet and walk a few paces towards the other two girls.

"Hey, how's it going?" I say to the two.

"You say that as if we haven't been together every minute of everyday for the past few weeks." Amber says, her gruff voice resonating in my mind in the way I had become so accustomed to.

"Well um…how else am I supposed to start a conversation?" I ask, suddenly finding it very awkward.

"Come over here, she's just messing with you." Kate says with a roll of her eyes, gesturing to a spot next to her. I smile and move to sit down. I lean against the warm scales with a quiet sigh, Amber's warmth and the heat from the fire, the soft sound of the ocean and the smell of smoke relaxing my tense muscles and easing the constant headache that had developed earlier that day.

"So, what were you girls talking about?" I ask after a moment. Amber had curled her long neck around to see us better and had her head resting on the sand in front of us.

"Oh, nothing you should concern yourself with." Amber says before glancing at Kate, and suddenly they both started laughing. I suddenly felt very self conscious and could feel heat rising up my neck.

"Um," I cringe at my vicious voice crack. "A-anyways how are you two feeling? We're getting closer to Willow Isle. Only a couple of days of travel left, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yeah, we should be there by the end of the week." Kate confirms with a nod.

"I'm alright, just ready to get this diplomatic stuff over with, get that flower and get back so we can take back our country once and for all." Amber says with a smirk.

"Good, good. Kate?" I look over to her.

"Hm…I'm scared, if I'm being honest. If we can't get the king of Willow Isle to sympathize with us we're basically screwed. But I'm also…excited. I'm a fighter, not a diplomat, so I'm ready to do as Amber said and take back New Eladea." She looks at me with a determined glint in her eye. I nod.

"That's good. We need to be ready, because in a few days everything's going to change. I'm glad you guys are up for it." I pause and quickly add, "and thank you. For doing this with me, I mean. It means a lot that you two would stick with this, with me. I couldn't have gotten this far without you.", I look up at them and smile, fighting back tears.

"Well duh. You would have gone broke from the boat rentals and probably lost in the woods." Amber smiles a goofy dragon-smile. I jump when I feel something land on my head but relax when I realize it's just her tail ruffling my hair. "But seriously, it's no problem, dude. It's the least we can for our prince." She winks at me this time, making me smile. I reach up to push back the hair in my eyes that had fallen out of its tie due to Amber's much appreciated hair-ruffle.

"Ha! And you probably would have been stabbed a dozen times over without me." Kate looks at me, our eyes meeting. I glance down when I feel her hand on mine. I turn my palm over to grip her calloused fingers. "There's no place I'd rather be, Liam." I study her eyes for a few moments before she suddenly retracts her hand, shoving it into her lap and turning to stare straight into the fire. I'm a moment behind, quickly doing the same, fighting the heat climbing up my neck.

It's silent for a long time after that, I think I may have dozed off a few times. I keep repeating Kate's words in my mind. "There's no place I'd rather be." Her voice echoes in my mind. I don't deserve her…or any of them. I'm so lucky. I feel myself smile despite myself. Thank you, goddesses. Thank you.

"Guys…" I open my eyes to find Reid standing over us, shifting her weight uncomfortably and staring at the ground. "I need to tell you something."

"Oh, uh, yeah sure." I push myself up, sitting straighter. Kate looks up at her and Amber raises her head. Reid stands there for a moment more before sitting down beside the fire. I shift myself so I can see her better.

"What is it?" Kate asks, her voice soft and concerned.

"I um…" Reid's voice is shaky and she takes a deep breath, calming herself before continuing. "The last town we left, it kinda, um, shook me, as I'm sure you've noticed. It reminded me of some bad memories I'd rather not think of, and I think it's time I tell you guys about them. Well I guess I need to. Talk about them, I mean. It would probably be good for me, you know?"

She glances up at us, wringing her hands before starting her story. "I think it happened when I was seventeen,"

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"What?" His gruff voice is hostile and reserved.

"Dad, I said, I'm genderfluid. I've known for a few years but I just didn't…I couldn't…" I pause and take a breath, mustering my courage. "I didn't think to tell you guys until now."

"But, I don't understand. What did we do?" My mom asks, her brow deeply furrowed.

"W-what? You didn't do anything. It's not something that is taught or done, it's just how I am."

"I've been hearing this gay, trans nonsense for a few years but I never thought that my own son would buy into it." My dad's tone of voice makes me shrink into myself. I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out.

"Come on, say something, Oliver. Answer your father, boy." My mother says. I wince, clenching my fists.

"My name isn't Oliver…" I whisper.

"Speak up." My father demands.

"My name is not Oliver." I say, a bit bolder this time. "It's Reid." This shocks my parents into silence for a few moments.

"What did you just say? You can't just change your name. We gave you that name. Your name is Oliver." My mother says, her voice is innocent but I hear the hostility behind it. "I gave you that name when I held you as an infant and now you want to throw it away?"

"Oliver is a masculine name. It doesn't fit me all the time. Reid is a name that I feel fits me no matter what I feel like-" my father cuts off my explanation.

"First you were an albino. I let that pass, thinking that maybe you could still be normal enough. Then you didn't grow past your mother's height and you're just skin and bones. Again I tried to look past it, thinking that maybe you could still grow into somewhat of a decent man and make something of yourself. Now, you're claiming to be a girl sometimes and your name is Reid?" My father's fists slowly clench tighter, his voice growing angrier. I feel myself shrink back from him.

"I've been too lenient with you, boy. I knew I should have gotten rid of you as soon as you opened your eyes and instead of blue they were that ugly pinkish red. I kept you because of your mother, but now I see that was wrong. You were a mistake to raise into this world." I feel tears well up in my eyes. I glance desperately at my mother, but instead of defending me she looks just as hostile, an impossible fortress to penetrate.

"You're no longer my son. I will no longer feed you, cloth you, or house you. Get out."

"W-what." My voice is so small I barely recognize it.

"You heard me. Get. Out." I glance towards the door, then to my father's clenched fists and tight jaw.

"Let me get my stuff-"

"No. That stuff is things we gave you out of the kindness of our hearts. It is not yours. Leave." I feel myself deflate, my heart crumbling and falling down, down. I feel my voice growing smaller, shrinking down to where it permanently stays, refusing to come out.

"O-ok." And without any more words, any more fight or defense, I left that house without parents, a home, or a family to call my own.

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"I wandered the streets for a long time before a kind shop owner hired me. Until I got enough money to rent out a room I was living on the streets, stealing and begging for food. That's how I got so good at board games, I would bet money on them to try and win some extra cash. That island was bringing back memories of that time and it was eating me up inside." She finishes with a long exhale.

"Oh, Reid." Kate reaches out a tentative hand, and Reid takes it. "I'm so sorry."

"Why didn't you tell us? I could have helped you, you know that, right? I would have helped you if only I'd have known-" I run a hand through my hair, my mind trying to find every moment I should have realized what was happening, every sign I should have recognized. Why did I never question that she was so skinny?

"I didn't tell you guys because I felt…unworthy, I guess. I know it sounds ridiculous but I felt as if you guys knew about it then you wouldn't have wanted to be my friend anymore." She laughs, tears filing her eyelids. "I mean, come on! A prince and the daughter of a lord. You guys are literally leagues above me. I'm just a poor begging peasant. I felt as if I was cheating you two but at the same time I was so lonely I didn't want to lose you."

"Reid, you never should have felt that way. After all, I'm not the daughter of a lord. He was an abusive and manipulative knight that bailed on Eladea as soon as another country was made. I am not, and will never be his daughter. If anything I'm the daughter of a seamstress who was trapped in his claws. I'm not some glamorous girl living in a castle and eating three feasts a day, no offense Liam."

"None taken." I say quickly.

"I'm living in a small apartment, working two jobs and learning to fight on the side so I can maybe one day fulfill my dream of being a knight. I'm no different than you." She holds Reid's hand in both of hers.

"And you know I would never just drop you because you were going through a tough time, Reid. Sure I'm a prince, but that title means nothing. You're my friend, and nothings going to change that, no matter how crappy your parents are." I lean forward and put a hand on her shoulder, staring into her eyes as I talk. I watch as a tear escapes her left eye, trailing down her cheek.

"Thank you." She whispers. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She surges forward and wraps her arms around my neck. I wrap mine around her waist and squeeze her tight, holding her for a moment before she lets go and does the same to Kate. She's a bit more hesitant, but returns the hug.

"For what it's worth, I think you're a badass. I didn't know you back then but it sounds like you were such a strong person for powering through what your parents did to you and being determined to make the most out of your life." Reid laughs, turning to hug Amber's wide chest.

I raise my eyebrow at Kate in the meantime.

"What?" She asks, confused at me.

"Well, Miss I-don't-like-feelings, you just talked about your life, hugged someone and didn't even make a face. I'm impressed." I say with a teasing smile.

"Shut up!" She says, pushing me. I laugh, watching as the corners of her mouth upturn slightly. Reid's relieved laughter echoes off the waves and carries across the water, there for any willing recipient to hear.

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Word count: 2650

So uh yeah. That was that. I put off doing this for so long because I only had like a sentence to go off of in my planning doc and I didn't know what to do for it. But hopefully this wasn't a train wreck lol

Honest opinion, did this feel rushed at all? Like did Reid's whole confession just feel unnatural or was it ok? I appreciate any and all criticism.

Anyway, theories? Comments? Questions? How are we feeling? Are you excited? The end is nye >:)

Cya next week!! (Hopefully)