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TK couldn’t remember how he made it back to his apartment from the restaurant. Alex telling him he was leaving him for the spin instructor, while he was proposing still on a loop in his head. Grabbing handfuls of his hair and pulling trying to get the images to stop, he paced the living room repeatedly, eventually stopping at the wall to bang his head against. It didn’t help, nothing was helping.
He closed his eyes as tightly as possible, greeted his teeth and tried to hold back the tears and scream. Breathing hard, he lowered his hands from his hair, turned around with his back to the wall and slid down to the floor. Staring blankly out at nothing it took him what could have been minutes or hours before he noticed his phone laying on the coffee table, he didn’t even recall putting it there.
He crawled over to it and was about to unlock it when his Lock Screen came up, a picture of him and Alex. He almost threw the phone away so he wouldn’t have to look at it, all he could think about was forgetting, numbing the pain. He knew who to reach out to he just had to look through his contacts and he would have what he needed within the hour.
Hands shaking he put in his passcode and started scrolling his contacts, but before he could reach the one he was looking for a name he hadn’t thought about in awhile had him hesitating, his thumb hovering over the screen deliberating what to do next.
He couldn’t handle feeling like this and he knew what the fastest, easiest way to get rid of it was, but he also remembered how that ended last time. He didn’t want to talk to his dad, he would understand he always does but he didn’t like Alex and he didn’t want to deal with that. But he could call him, he promised to be there and he would never break a promise. He hesitated a moment longer, before clicking on the contact and making the call.
Buck had just gotten back to loft, he was feeling so many things he didn’t even know where to start figuring them out. He wanted to talk to Eddie about it all, or Maddie but Eddie has been growing distant since the tsunami and he would probably side with Bobby anyway, Maddie definitely would. So there really wasn’t much point.
He was leaning on the island in his kitchen, holding his head between his hands. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a business card, picking it up he sees it’s from the ambulance chasing lawyer from the fire drill the other day. He looks at it and contemplates his situation, he takes out his phone to see what time it is and set an alarm for tomorrow morning. He is just about to unlock the phone when it rings with a name he hasn’t seen in a while, he knows something is wrong and answers instantly.
“Ty, what’s wrong? What happened?”
“Ev, I need you”
Buck closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before answering. “Tyler, I’m right here sweetheart and I am packing a bag and looking for a flight right now.” He moves the phone to speaker and grabs his former work duffel and starts packing. “But while I’m doing that can you please tell me what happened, or if you took anything? Just so I know what’s going on”
He can hear a broken sob on the other end of the line and his heart clenches, he is going to murder Alex if he ever gets his hands on him. “I.. I .. I haven’t taken any thing” TK gets out between sobs, “I was about to call someone to get some but called you instead, I just wanted it to stop hurting”.
Relief flows through him, “I’m proud of you Ty, you did good. I’m all packed and I found a flight out tonight I will be there tomorrow morning, I’m leaving for lax now but I don’t want you to be alone till then so is it ok if I add Owen to the call? So he knows what’s happening and can maybe come over until I get there?” He holds his breath, he won’t make TK do this but he hopes he agrees, he would feel better knowing that he wasn’t alone while he was in route.
After a lengthy pause and some more sobbing and stuttering TK agrees to Buck adding Owen to the call and letting him know about what’s going on.
Scrolling through his contacts Buck chooses one he didn’t think he would ever use again. “Evan?” He hears Owens voice ask sounding confused. “Hey Owen, long time you are on with me and Tyler - look something happened tonight not sure what Ty didn’t say he did say that instead of calling someone for drugs he called me. I’m on my way to lax for a flight out now landing in the morning, but I would feel better if he wasn’t alone until I got there. He said it’s ok to call you, so could you get over there and stay with him until I get there? I can stay on the line with him until I get to security”.
There’s a beat of silence before Owen replies “God Evan I missed you kid, I’m leaving to Tylers now don’t worry. Send us your flight information and we will ether meet you at the apartment or at the station in the morning depending on what time you get in”
“Missed you too, I’ll send you everything once I’m at the airport. How you doing Ty?”
There’s a stuttering breath “hanging in there, knowing you are on the way is helping”
Buck doesn’t know if he’s heart breaks even more at that or if he’s gut got punched but he bears down on his own feelings, he needs to be strong for TK ”That’s good sweetheart, glad it’s helping only a few hours and I’ll be there. Almost at the airport now”.
“Why did you have to go and live across the damn country?” He hears next and can’t help but laugh even if he’s heart pinches. “Just ended up there, also doesn’t hurt they have the best fire academy in the country” twin shouts of indignation come next like he knew they would and laughs harder “you Strands are so predictable” Owen responds with a “watch it Buckley”. And now even TK gave a small laugh, so Buck will take it as a win.
“Ok Strands, I’m at the airport heading to security so I have to go but I will text you till I need to turn my phone off and have sent you my flight information already. Love you”
“Good timing, I just got to TK’s building. Have a safe flight, see you in the morning. love you”.
“Love you Ev, thank you for keeping your promise”.
“No thanks needed Ty, it’s a promise I will gladly always keep. Try and get some rest if you can, see you in a few hours sweetheart”.
With that he disconnected the call and started his way through lax to get to NYC.