#they were like “and of course no one tells matt he shouldn't punch people!” what is this? grade A in therapy?

[thisloveforyourmom]

wow i just saw the worst aftg take i've EVER seen 😭 like do i think the upperclassmen shouldn't be so surprised when andrew gets violent? yes absolutely. but we are not gonna sit here and pretend it's justified for him to respond to an open handed slap by choking allison out for several minutes because he was 'just reacting' 😭

[unprofessional-bard]

Hello Stranger

Pairing: Connor x Reader

Word Count: 1819

Warnings: Bullying. So angsty at first. Does the end count as fluff??

Summary: Modern AU where Connor is being bullied, and the reader immediately takes action the moment they realise that Connor is being bullied.

Author's Note: This is my first fic where I tried my best to make the piece for readers of all genders! If I made a mistake and used a gender specific pronunciation, please let me know!

// @marshmallow--3 here you go ♡

Enjoy!

Gif credit: aerloria

You knew he wasn't exactly fond of people, you knew for a fact that he liked to be alone and that he didn't exactly like talking to people unless absolutely necessary. He was very quiet, wore an unreadable mask, but generous and kind nevertheless. You had a few classes in common and whenever you'd miss something, or just not attend the class, he was the one you'd always go to see if there was any homework or essays due - anything. And he didn't seem to mind, if anything, you felt like he enjoyed your presence. Or maybe you were just being foolish, but you felt somewhat special because you were allowed into his personal bubble on some level.

But that level was a very low level, it seemed.

"See you at lunch?" Matt, a close friend of yours, asked before you headed your separate ways.

"You bet," you smiled at Matt and turned around the corridor. You noticed how the hallway was partly empty even though the bell had just rung, as you kept walking to the end of the corridor. It was right before you turned another corner when you heard raised voices from where you were headed. Turns out most of the people were gathered there, where Connor and a few boys were stood behind him. People were pretending to either talk with their friends or take something from their locker, but everyone was just watching as the following scenario took place:

"Come on, big guy!" One of the boys, who seemed to be the leader of their little group, spoke loudly. Connor was going through his locker extra slowly, hoping that they'd leave him be, but that didn't seem to be happening. You made your way through the throng of people to see what was happening more clearly.

"Look, Dan! Seems like Connor here is ignoring us," The boy next to the lead said. "He looks so big and tough, but he's just a sissy and nothing more!"

Oh, hell no, you thought as you shoved your way past the people who were watching.

"Leave me be," Connor spoke firmly, without turning around, his voice barely audible.

"Leave you be?" Dan spoke. "Now where's the fun in that, beast boy?"

"Hey!" You yelled as you finally made your way out and into the circle where they all stood. "Leave him be."

"Oh? And who are you? Beauty of our beastie here?" Dan burst out laughing as you rolled your eyes angrily.

"Don't you have anything better to do? Walk away and don't let me see you around him again." You spoke defensively as Dan took a slow step toward you.

"Or what exactly?" Dan said and suddenly, shoved you harshly across the hall.

What you didn't expect was, the moment you got up, Connor immediately grabbed Dan by the collar and shoved him against the wall with incredible strength and ease. Everything was happening so fast, you barely had the time to yell 'Connor!' as a boy approached him from behind.

As if he had a sixth sense and didn't need your warning, he immediately ducked, let go of Dan and tackled the boy to the ground who advanced on him. You, just like everyone else, was shaken at how swiftly Connor moved and took down the boy.

You didn't think twice when you ran towards Dan and pushed him against the wall once more before he could reach Connor, who was dealing with the other boys. Dan let out a pained gasp as his back hit the wall, but immediately managed to land a punch on your lips after his two attempts on trying to punch you. You lost your balance and immediately hit the ground with a painful grunt.

Connor immediately turned around at your distressed tone, and his expression immediately changed from anger to horror when he saw you on the floor. This had to end and it had to end now.

"Stop this!" Connor growled at Dan as he walked over to where you were.

"Why? You and your-" But before he could finish his sentence, Connor's fist connected with Dan's nose in a sucker punch, making everyone watching gasp simultaneously.

"What the hell is going on here?" You heard the familiar, biting tone of the principal boom across the hallway. But it didn't stop one of the boys to strike at Connor one more time, successfully connecting a punch to his nose, doubling him over.

"Connor-!" You cried and rushed over to his side as quick as your unfocused mind allowed. Just as you did, the principal emerged from the crowd; his confused expression turning into one of shock, then anger.

"Daniel and his little gang, why am I not surprised?!" The principal yelled at the Dan who looked like he was about to pass out, then looked at the both of you; Connor's nose bleeding and your lip split open and also bleeding: "I expected more from the both of you- To my office, now!"

"So, let me get this straight," The principal sighed. "You wanted to help Mr. Kenway here because he was being bullied by those four hooligans, but the first physical contact was made by them and the damage made by your side is entirely self defence."

"Yes, sir," You spoke, flinching at the pain caused by your lip. "Everyone was watching Connor being harassed by Dan and no one was doing anything about it, I had to step up."

"How long has this been going on, Mr. Kenway?" The principal looked over to Connor who was holding a piece of cloth to his bleeding nose.

"For... some time." Connor replied after a moment of silence, looking at the ground.

"Why didn't you say something to us Mr. Kenway?" The principal spoke in disbelief, then turned to you. "Did you know of this?"

"Of course I didn't!" You spoke, equally in disbelief. "Had I known... Oh, had I known-"

"A lot of students in this school are being bullied, and I haven't seen the staff help them in any way, so I didn't bother." Connor replied sharply at the principal. "And I know the reason why you are so interested in my case all of a sudden. It is because you know what my father is capable of doing to your reputation."

The principal was quiet, fear had washed over his face: "Your father... yes, he cares a great deal about you, it is true..."

Haytham Kenway was a man of great power, and you knew that Dan and his friend's were going to get an earful when they got home, mainly because they had no idea who's son they had messed with. You looked at the principal, then Connor, then at the principal again. It came to you as a shock when you realised what Connor had said: He just called the principal out with such confidence, you knew it had nothing to with his blood ties. He spoke not because he wouldn't get into trouble, but because it was the right thing to do. The school indeed did not pay any attention to the kids being bullied, and Connor just called the principal out for their horrible mistake. You never thought in a million years that Connor would do such a thing, it was very brave of him.

After a moment of silence, the principal gulped and nodded: "You may leave now... As for Daniel and his friends, you needn't worry about them any longer."

You both got up at the same time and left the room without another word.

"You okay, Connor?" you asked as you both walked side by side.

"Are you okay?" He suddenly stopped and turned to face you. "You did a foolish thing back there, you did not have to-"

"Connor," you interrupted him. "I had to. You weren't doing anything about it, no one was doing anything about it, but someone had to. And that someone was me."

"But look at you, they ruined your face..." Connor protested with a guilty expression on his face as he looked at your lip. You felt like you were going to melt then and there at how caring he was with you.

"So? It'll heal," you reassured him with a soft smile. "Physical scars heal, what they were doing to you back there? That sort of treatment won't heal so easily. Why do you put up with them?"

"Why are you so worried about me? I got you into this, shouldn't you be angry with me for getting you into this?"

"I got myself into this, knowingly and entirely by my own will, the responsibility of my actions are my own." You sighed and began walking again, but Connor gently grabbed your wrist to stop you.

"There's uh-" Connor stopped as if he was trying to construct a very long sentence in his mind. "Would you like to have some coffee?"

You blinked, slowly processing what he had just said. He looked reluctant and in discomfort. You'd love that, but you didn't want to push him into being friends with you: "Oh, you don't have to-"

"There is a nice cáfe not too far from here," He unintentionally interrupted you. "I just... I want to show you my gratitude, please, it is the least I can do."

You looked at your feet, not entirely sure if he's a hundred percent okay with this -as making him uncomfortable was the last thing you wanted- but if it's going to help his conscience, you'd like nothing more.

"Alright then, but you have to tell me where you learned to fight like that," you smiled the sweetest smile you could muster and relaxed when you saw his expression brighten up. "I just did what all the people who passed by you should've done. Had I known earlier... I never noticed, I'm sorry-"

"Don't," his hand shot up to grab your arm, but immediately retreated as soon as your eyes locked. "Do not apologise, please. I put you in this situation and I hate that I did. Let me- let me buy you a coffee and we can forget about this."

But you knew he'd never forget a single frame of the events that took place an hour ago, and neither would you.

You could only smile and murmur 'Alright' as you grabbed the handle of your bag, turning your head away. It really was nice of him to be doing this. You never really had a full conversation with him before, but even though you wanted to talk to him more often as he seemed to have only but a few friends, he seemed uninterested so you kept your distance because you didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

But it would seem like he's finally interested in making another friend. Little had you known that this would be the begging of an everlasting, wonderful friendship.

[neuropathicgypsy]

I've been remembering things... like a normal person... and unlike a normal person and forgetting things also...

I keep remembering when Matt's grandpa saw me at Putt-Putt... at least twice.

The first time he kept touching me while I was playing this kiss the frog game... enough to where I punched him and pushed him nearly down cause he kept touching me behind me where I couldn't see him and then he grabbed my arm that's when I pushed him

Then he acted like nothing happened and asked me how I played the game. I told him I would move and he could play that's when he pushed against me again and I told him to wait and i would move and he said he didn't even want to play he just wanted to know how.

What the fuck was that shit? He walked away cause he was already Hurt cause I didn't look at him Like I play the games he does.

Then I saw him again on Joe's daughter's birthday and he was behind the counter and we had this whole discussion, Joe and I did about who he was and he just kept going off so he then pretended like he was Joe's dad.

He left the same time we did... I was there with my ex husband and daughter in my exhusbands car... I sat in the back seat because we were going to get divorced but I didn't trust him alone with my daughter so we did family things so I could make sure they could be social together and she could be safe.

Then another time in my parents town we went to walmart... which wasn't normal for us and we parked far from the doors and there was plenty of room near the doors... and when we left there was a white rental car parked next to ours but way closer than I felt should be normal... and I was all super paranoid while my kid got in the car and stood on her side of the car while she got in... a lot because she got startled by him... sitting in the car... on a laptop.

I knew it was the same guy I thought was Joe's dad.

But then i saw a photo of Matt's grandpa not too long ago...

Tonight I asked Matt.... are you sure I was pregnant with you kids and it wasn't your grandpa? Cause it really seems like your grandpa is a rapist and I don't remember getting pregnant by you and shouldn't that be something I remember?

I remember getting pregnant with my daughter and I must say it wasn't the best sex in my life and in fact I was quite tired and wasn't really into it but...

But I sense all this general badness wi th my getting pregnant earlier ...

I mean... my mom did get all crazy when she realized I was and we had to call the cops....

And we were in a lot of foster homes...

But it doesn't seem right...

---

His answer is: Matt your gramma will read that..

well it didn't stop him from getting his ass beat when his wife was at the putt-putt with him and their friends. I think she should know the truth about what her husband does. Quit hiding behind children. It also explains why the infants were murdered. Because before I couldn't understand. I've been thinking about it at least once a week for months.

----

So now Matt says we had had sex after I was pregnant, in a new foster Home and I had said "finally the first time we have had sex..." and I was very tired so I didn't finish

Matt thinks he's funny so he says "what?!? Those aren't my kids?!"

And I didn't know what to say because back then, I had amnesia a good portion of the time... I had gotten pregnant in the summer then sent back to my parents house to start school. And i no longer could button my pants and I knew zipping them up part of the way wasn't going to last long and I had to tell my mom I needed new clothes and it seemed like there was some alien weirdness inside me.

So then MATT also likes attention so he called everyone he knew to brag he had had sex.... and his grandpa said something about finding out when the DNA came out whose kids they were, his or his.

And Matt said "what are you telling me, you have been raping my woman?!"

And his grandpa snap hissed, "I told you I had sex with her, didn't i?!?"

He's that old plantation type that comes from negro slaves and that sort although his family was poorer than his wife's, he understood that a "man" got his sex however he pleased and a woman had no right to disobey him. Although if his negros went on strike and didn't do all his work for him, he'd been a poor man with nothing to his name so Idk who he thought he was that his duck was made of gold plated stainless steel cause it sure wasn't anything I'd write home about except to say everyone should stay away from it...

So to this terrible old white man, rape and sex was the same thing. If he was willing then she should be, too. And if she wasn't then she had her own problems that didn't matter to him and never will.

His problems don't matter to me, either. So whatever Matt's gramma has to do, his gramma has to do.

And his gramma has always known. That's why we went to foster care, I'm quite sure.

The story always was that since I was pregnant we had to be removed from the custodial care. Maybe my mom threw a fit but really she didn't and doesn't like me much so idk. But it didn't matter either because my dad had the upper hand being military and my father. And her just being a bitch.

And so the story was since I was pregnant the people we were with (his family and mine) didn't pay enough attention to us for us to be safe.

But we had sex in the foster hones and they knew and that was supposed to be the whole reason we had to be in foster care, because we had had sex.

And we were always placed together.

I know his gramma knew so this ass hole grandpa all saying "your grand MA is gonna read that matt" as if matts grandma's feelings had ever mattered to him is absolutely ridiculous.

"I told you I had sex with her didn't I boy" as an answer to "you raped her" ..... rape culture should never had a place in our history and shouldn't have a place in our future

---

His gramma is all distressed and I'm like what is the problem didn't you go to the lawyer?

And she's all yes I called but he said he can't see me till next week.

I told her do you can just do one online and it's not a big deal.

She says that's what Matt had told her.

So I ask Matt well did you? She seems really worried and he said yeah and you know my grandpa isn't home.

She said that he said he will come home immediately.

(Because obviously his 4th family isn't as important as making sure he gets his money)

So I'm all what's that short little man going to do to you.

She said something I can't quite remember

And I said "oh he's like Matt, he's got that Hagan charm, makes you want to forgive him as if it was that easy"

Then we go on and she can get all th documents to file for divorce quite easily and since his family was poor and her father protective of his daughter and his family assets she could file and leave him with nearly nothing.

Since he's got multiple families across the country I don't see why he should continue to scrounge off her.

Of course he would do the whole verbal abuse calling her a scrooge and all... but really what's worse the truth or manipulation? Always the truth otherwise there would be no manipulation

He is a rapist no one likes. He's a rapist which means he forces people to have sex with him.

She tried to protect me, Matt and babies she probably never met and he calls her a scrooge. Which is absolutely untrue. She sacrificed great grandchildren and her grandchild of a son whom was murdered and still her seriously scrooge manipulation husband had her great grandchildren killed because he didn't want to lose her money.

So since he did that then I think that absolutely she should divorce him and let him call her Scrooge cause the real scrooge is him and he has destroyed many lives for his own greed and to keep wealth that wasn't his.

Instead of allowing his ass to take money for his greed and multiple families and gambling she could create a charity or memorial or scholarships or all of the above and more.

And then we will all know who is really the Scrooge.