Episode 3 ^1/4: I really hate spaghetti.

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A growing wind pulled all the heat from his body. The first raindrops were coming in heavy. There was mocking laughter as a bat was dragged over brick. The noise drowned out every other sound and Sam couldn’t move.

“Can’t believe this is all it takes,” the bat once more hit the wall. Sam flinched.

But the words registered. It didn’t mean that he was safe. What it meant was that Sam had misheard the voice. Not the words, just the voice.

Eyes danced up from the ground. With his hands over his ears, he was vulnerable to the bat which slammed into his side. The force knocked the wind out and pulled his arms down. The laughter around him grew stronger. A left hook caught the side of his head. Water splashed over his hands when they stopped his face from hitting the ground.

In a fight like this, it was key not to give the aggressor what they wanted; a reaction. Docile was the way to get through this as soon as possible. And yet, it seemed that they were taking pleasure in even Sam’s tempered reactions.

The bat hit his left shoulder and Sam crashed forward once more. He didn’t fight. A cross to the head spun him further down. This time, a foot at his shoulder slammed him down. Muddy puddle water was sucked in when he tried to breathe, and he began to cough. His right arm rose to block the kick coming for his face. A boot hitting his side rolled him over painfully leaving his right hand vulnerable to the stomping it received.

As he rolled towards the pain, a kick landed upon his chin to force his cheek into the curb peeling off skin and leaving a bloody mark. The bat slammed into his stomach forcing up the muddy water he hadn’t wanted to swallow. Blood mingled with spit. His arms did what they could to protect his face. He tried to curl into a ball. Then felt the back of his head hit the curb. Stars danced behind his eyes, and he couldn’t figure out how to pull his arms in to protect his head.

“Enough man.”

His stomach felt the impact of another kick.

“It’s enough! You’re going to kill him.”

Words spoken next to his ear were muffled by the ringing within them. Figures danced within his failing vision as they walked away. The bat swung next to a leg as they left. He watched for as long as he could wanting to be sure that they weren’t coming back. The familiarity of the pain wasn’t something he welcomed. Slowly, he curled up on himself. Shaking arms weakly hid his face. As Sam passed out in the gutter, the rain worked to wash away the blood.

Sometime later, dim light welcomed him back. Swollen eyes blinked slowly bringing clarity to the blur overwhelming them. Hot on the heels of clarity was pain. Knowing that it was coming didn’t diminish its power. Through the ringing in his ears, Sam began to understand that some of the noise was a voice. He struggled to make sense of it.

Pushing up out of the puddle was the first step to that. A hand at his elbow was an attempt to help. He rolled his elbow to push the person away. Shoes always gave up identities. And these cheap dress shoes told him who stood next to him. Through the growing pain, annoyance was beginning to surface. Todd was on the phone. Words tumbled over each other making very little sense, yet accurately conveying urgency.

“Hang up,” he muttered darkly. He very much did not need Ty swooping in right now.

More words of urgency showed that Todd wasn’t listening to Sam. And so, he took the phone away. Without an explanation or a word, he disconnected the call. It pissed him off that his right hand wasn’t able to hold the phone.

“Hey,” Todd whined ineffectually!

With his left hand he passed the phone back with a glare of warning.

“You shouldn’t move. You’re really hurt,” Todd motioned his hands before Sam in an attempt to mime.

His glare moved off to the side. He did not want to listen to Todd because he knew what was about to happen. What he really needed was time. It was bad, the pain he was in. They hadn’t held back. But he’d been through this before with as little time to reorient as he was facing now. This could happen because it needed to. And so, he pushed through the pain in an attempt to get to his feet.

Really, he wasn’t even sure what he was hoping to accomplish. Running forward was just a reaction that he’d been trained to have. Without a better solution, or any solution that he could see, running was the only recourse. The safety of darkness called to him.

But, even if he’d been able to move right now, it wasn’t going to be enough. He knew at least that much about Ty. He wasn’t going to be deterred simply because Sam ran ahead of him. A bitter and delusional smile emerged through the pain. He was still going to try to run.

First step to that was to reclaim his bag. It was lying just outside the puddle he was sitting in. The rain was soaking the worn-out fabric putting his sketchbook at serious risk. Leaning forward and dropping his leg was the only way it seemed he could move towards it. Setting his hand in the puddle was actually a bit of a relief for the cool water helped take away the heat of the injury. A shaking hand reached out.

“Sam, don’t,” Todd moved quickly to pick up his bag. The umbrella overhead moved, letting the heavy rain hit him again for a moment.

Runners in the rain gave off chirps to give their approach away. The umbrella moving back overhead kept him hidden from the others as they ran up. Todd turned over the bag. Sam could only brace himself for what was coming. Looking down, he saw their feet first. He saw all their feet.

“Take it slow, Sam,” Todd’s voice reached over the rain.

He wasn’t in a good way, which meant he was vulnerable. Fighting the pain it caused, he clenched his jaw and brushed away the tentative hand that reached out to him. The bruises would take time to show their true colors and the rain was washing away the blood he could taste. If he could stand up, he could at least pretend that it wasn’t so bad. His attitude would take care of the rest.

Despite all his experience ignoring pain, when he tried to move now it pierced through his ribs locking him to the ground. It meant that he couldn’t run forward, which meant he was trapped.

Ty knelt before him, “Sam.”

Calm, certain, steady. Ty’s voice saying only his name brought these feelings to him, and he felt his heart slowing down.

He stared at the ground. Though it was too late, he tried to fix his appearance. His shirt was skewed and soaked through, making it hard to set right. A missing shoe revealed a swollen ankle that was already beginning to bruise. The arm he held to his side was trying to hide the pain of the hit he’d taken to the ribs. The wrist he tried to push Ty away with was already swollen. Visible were his swollen eye and marked jaw. He was so screwed!

Ty’s hand paused only long enough for Sam to understand that he was about to be touched. He had to accept it this time. Gentle hands held his face so that it could be inspected. He knew blood was heavy around his swollen bottom lip. From having his face stepped on, a deep cut marred his cheek which allowed more blood to flow. His chin was bruised, he could feel that and was pretty sure Ty was already seeing it. He hid his hands closer to his body. What they lacked were defensive cuts and bruises. If they knew…

“What the hell happened?” Geo stood with folded arms behind Ty.

“He must have been jumped,” Todd babbled frantically. “Did they take anything from you? I didn’t find a phone on you.”

When he shot a look over, Ty gently guided his face back to focus upon him, “we’re going to the hospital.”

The look Sam now gave Ty challenged him in every way.

Ty leaned in close, “use your big boy words or get treated like a kid.”

Despite himself, the barest smile fought to surface through Sam’s fear. His fingers buried into the sleeve of Ty’s jacket, “it’s just some bruises.”

Holding his ribs with the other hand, he wasn’t really sure if bruising was the only recovery he faced. But he had his reasons for not mentioning this.

“Make your call,” Ty sat back. Hands slid down arms which trembled.

Sam understood the choices given to him, which seemed to satisfy Ty for some reason. Those eyes sparkled with amused challenge. Sam glared as he made his decision, “your place.”

Ty’s lips moved into a smile, and Sam’s bag went over Ty’s shoulders. Warmth transferred to Sam’s cold arms when Ty set his hoodie over his shoulders. He beckoned to Tanner, “let’s go.”

Gentle hands moved around Sam to help him stand.

“May…maybe a hospital. If something…happens…” Todd was stammering. Small was the voice that kept trying, “maybe…it’s best…”

Questions wanted to surface, but the pain of moving trumped them. It was all he could do not to pass out as he leaned on the two guys holding him up. Ty would like that too much if he did. So, for the moment he put every effort into staying conscious.

“What happened?” Geo had asked. The brothers were flanking them in a form of protection Sam wasn’t used to.

Because it was all he could do, he grudgingly looked to Ty for help. Ty liked that he did, and stepped in with a soft rebuke, “not now, he’s trying to pretend like he’s not suffering.”

He hated this man!

Tanner was chuckling, “it’s reassuring that he still has the energy to give you that look.”

“Maybe…if you call…I mean, his friend,” Todd was pretty much dancing in place. “Shouldn’t he look after…Sam?”

Geo looked confused, “Peyton?”

“Pey,” Court snapped his fingers. “We kinda left without telling him.”

“He’s working,” he would dismiss that issue easily.

Annoyed confusion was the look Geo tossed his way, “I think he’d leave for this.”

“He’d better not,” he shot back with all the force he could muster right now.

“Really?” Ty’s simple question was laced with humor.

He cast a meaningful look, “you want me to go home with Pey or with you?”

“Shut-up, Todd,” Ty changed his tune quickly.

He didn’t dislike the exchange. They moved off. There was talk of Geo running to get his car, but rather than separate they decided the best course of action was to stick together. Ty’s arms wouldn’t let him fall, and slowly they made it to Geo’s car. The trip from that point was mostly a blur within Sam’s memory. He was focused solely upon staying conscious, believing that they would take him to a hospital if he didn’t stay awake.

Somehow, they made it to the small and cozy home sporting warm wood flooring and pale walls. Mismatched furniture decorated the living room. With the lights on, he could critically note the lack of artwork. The entryway wasn’t discernible other than the collection of shoes kicked haphazardly about on the mat. Sam’s were set aside next to Ty’s. Stairs immediately to the left led to the second level. The door across the room was the kitchen. Sam was taken to the couch.

“You sure you don’t want to go to a hospital?” Tanner looked worried as they helped Sam down onto the couch.

A whisper of a scoff escaped Sam’s lips, “I haven’t been to one before.”

Then the words he’d spoken registered. He looked askance and stopped talking. The others didn’t seem to notice. Ty set Sam’s bag on the coffee table. Coming from the kitchen, Geo began handing out bottles of beer. Ty took his to open it for him. There was a pause, but he took the drink feeling that he was going to need it.

“So, what happened?” Tanner posed the question as others claimed seats and began drinking.

“Shouldn’t we get some ice and bandages for Sam?” Todd interrupted with worry. The bottle he’d been handed was opened by Court and set before him on the coffee table. Todd glanced yet made no move to take it.

The look of murder Sam wanted to toss was hidden poorly behind a heavy dose of alcohol.

Ty grinned, “let him get a few drinks in first. It’ll take the edge off.”

“Start talking between sips,” Tanner lightly pushed.

Sam glanced over with the bottle poised before his lips, “don’t tell me how to drink.”

Ty and Court laughed. Geo shook his head in disapproval, but the beginning of a smile was there.

“Sam?” Tanner pressed again.

Sam moved the cold bottle to his temple as he leaned back, “don’t really know. Not like I got a good look before their shoes came at my face.”

“Shit,” Tanner ran a hand through his hair as he sat back.

“Was it the guys from the bar?” Court wondered.

Cold avoidance was his go-to because it made people back off, “that wasn’t about me. I’ve changed my mind. Give me your cell so I can call Pey to come pick me up.”

Silence.

He adjusted positions to alleviate the pain in his ribs. He wouldn’t look at Ty. He’d lose if he did. “Tanner, call him.”

When Tanner gave a singular laugh, Sam glanced over. And that’s when he lost.

“You know you suck at lying,” Ty had his gaze.

He glared and found himself telling the truth, “maybe because I’m not comfortable with it.”

“So start telling the truth. All of it.”                                    

Sam took a long drink. There was silence as they waited. Accepting that he wasn’t getting away without saying something, Sam passed his empty bottle to Ty, “I’ve got nothing to say. Thanks for the beer.”

“The hell I’m letting you leave,” Ty pushed him back when he moved to stand. Feeling the pain shoot up his leg, seeing Ty’s determination, and knowing that he was outnumbered was enough to convince him that the fight was lost before it began. Discretely, he moved a hand to his side to hold in the pain that was stealing his breath.

“There’s some reason someone did this to you,” Geo pointed out with a cold edge. That chill shot through his gaze to Sam. “I doubt robbery was the motive.”

“Maybe I just piss them off,” Sam was happy for the challenge to distract from the pain.

“Likely,” Geo agreed. “But I also doubt that’s the reason.”

“Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Because,” Tanner inserted a level of calm they’d been moving away from, “you throw a punch at someone who pisses you off. You gang up on someone when you’re trying to get a point across.”

Sam considered the words rolling about in his mind. His gaze danced to the side. His lips were pursed against the truth, “just let it go.”

Ty leaned forward to reach across the coffee table to take Todd’s untouched beer. This he handed to Sam.

“Hey,” Todd weakly whined.

“It doesn’t matter,” Sam took the bottle. “Whatever point they had, they made it. Going after them now will just perpetuate the violence. So just let it go.”

Ty lifted Sam’s arm holding the beer, “that’s twice in one evening you’ve been beat-up, and you’re using big words. You need to drink more.”

Sam pointed the bottle at Ty, “that first was your new friend’s fault. And it was one hit.”

“New friend?” Todd seemed at a loss.

No one bothered to explain.

Geo revealed, “even if it wasn’t about you, twice in one evening is just shit odds. What can you remember about this one?”

“What I told you is what I got to say,” Sam’s focus was the bottle in hand that was quickly being emptied.

But the others had questions they weren’t letting go of.

The contents of the bottle flowed smoothly down his throat. He saw the looks and shook his head, “if I give you something, will you back off?”

There were some nods of consideration.

Tanner spoke, “I guess it would depend upon what you tell us.”

“Good to know,” Sam’s attention moved back to the bottle.

Silence followed. Uncertain looks were shared.

Finally Court prompted, “so, you gonna say something?”

Once again, Sam glanced over, “course not. I was just curious what would happen if I had something to share.”

“Asshole,” Geo muttered.

“Ass,” Court was laughing!

Amusement lit Ty’s gaze. Annoyed with himself now, Sam had to wonder if that enchantment had to be so damned enticing?

“Look,” Court sat forward, his tone almost earnest, “in this house, we generally don’t ask questions.”

Sam made no hint at the emotions he had inside, but his eyes were turning dark.

Court continued on, “we totally allow sharing though. So, you know, if there’s something you’d like to get off your chest.”

Nodding his understanding, Sam stared off into nothing. Silence filled the room. On a shallow inhale, he finally revealed in a heavy tone, “I really hate spaghetti. I’m fine with other pasta, just not spaghetti.”

There was a smile lifting Ty’s lips which caught Sam’s eye.

“Thanks for letting me get that off my chest,” Sam hid a smirk by taking another drink.

“Son of a bitch, what was that?” Court called him out.

“Difficult ass even drunk,” Geo muttered, but even his expression hinted at amusement.

“I’m not drunk,” he considered the beer. “Yet.”

“We only want to help,” Tanner must be using his most coaxing tone because Sam almost wanted to listen to it. Thankfully, he wasn’t drunk enough yet to do that.

“Find someone more receptive to it then,” was the advice that came to mind.

“You’re kinda adorable when you’re being cagy,” Ty was direct.

He accepted the veiled criticism with an accusation, “and you have a hell of a way of getting your way. Either you orchestrated this or you’re an opportunist.”

“Definitely an opportunist,” Ty’s eyes sparkled. “You’re evading with this?”

When he finished the bottle he asked Ty, “you gonna complain if I am?”

Court leaned towards the others, “are they fighting or flirting?”

“I have no idea,” Tanner chuckled.

Ty moved to collect a new beer, “you should see what I do to get you into bed.”

Sam smirked, “I’ve been there, did you forget already?”

“I meant naked,” Ty was at the kitchen door.

Casting a glance without turning his head, Sam noted, “you were.”

That had Ty pausing in surprise. The wheels were now turning.

Enjoying that more than he probably should, Sam waved him on, “more drink. I still feel my face.”

Though he felt that the words were coherent, there was a concerned comment from Todd, “maybe that’s enough drinking?”

“Shh,” Court was shushing him, “don’t ruin this, it’s entertaining.”

“I am not,” he glared across the room.

Ty was back with more drink for him. There was no point in hesitating to dive into a third. Consequences be damned, he’d earned getting drunk!

“You need a lift to the meeting?” Geo was asking Tanner.

Behind closed eyes, Sam was letting the alcohol hit him. The cold liquid chilled him from the inside, numbing the pain. Good reason to keep going. The bottle touched his lips.

Tanner was refusing, “I don’t want to miss the story about why Ty was naked.”

“Haha,” he couldn’t stop the laugh from coming out!

“Okay, I’m liking drunk Sam,” Court cheered him on. “How chatty do you get?”

“Don’t know,” he mused more thoughtfully than the question warranted. “Never been drunk.”

“You’ve never been drunk?” Court probably wasn’t the only one surprised by that.

The bottle left his lips and he swallowed. Then he let them know, “never been around people I trust.”

“Aww,” Ty was stupidly pleased.

“I didn’t say I trusted you,” he noted sourly.

“Okay,” Ty playfully allowed the comment.

Fingers found their way into his hair. He knew he should push them away. Instead, he took another drink before pointing out, “you use violence for me, you’ll use it on me.”

Those words were better kept locked away, so he wasn’t sure why he’d let them out. He only knew that he hated how scared he was right now because they were out.

Ty’s gentle touch ran through the hair by his ear. Their faces were close, “give me a chance?”

Was it only that he asked instead of demanded? Or could Sam blame the alcohol? He felt his bottom lip tremble, so he pursed his lips to try and stop it. “You ever do that again, I won’t tell you I’m leaving.”

“Okay.”

Ty’s hand in his hair was warm, so why did it give him shivers? He went back to drinking.

“You mind picking up Jaz later?” Ty had asked someone. But since it felt good to close his eyes, they weren’t open to see who he was talking to.

It was Geo that answered, “course not.”

“You wanna give the kid a lift home too?”

It was strange to think of Todd as a kid when he was actually older than Sam. Not that anyone here knew that. There was just something about Todd that was younger than Sam.

He hadn’t meant to cut off the banter between the brothers, but he did when he asked, “why were you there?”

His swimming eyes opened to look over at Todd. How much of that fear Sam was seeing was the alcohol misinterpreting?

“Yah, actually,” Court sounded bemused. Seemed it hadn’t occurred to anyone else to question this.

“Well, I,” Todd was glancing about kind of frantically, “I just…wanted to see…if I could get in the bar too.”

“What the hell?” Court sat forward. “You’re underage. And you look it unlike…”

Geo had hit the back of his brother’s head to shut him up.

Glaring from behind the bottle he was raising to his lips, Sam muttered, “they know.”

Ty’s hand kept playing with his hair. There was an amused sound. “You want to take my car tonight?”

It was Tanner’s voice that responded, “you sure? What about school tomorrow?”

Ty’s warm voice assured, “no classes.”

Well, that was convenient. It would probably be good to sleep off this pain. And this alcohol. How much had he drunk already if he couldn’t even remember that tomorrow was a day off? The bottle at his lips wasn’t providing. He pulled it back to glare. Ty’s hand left his head to take the bottle away. Maybe it was time to stop.

“Ty,” he said with closed eyes. A hand was pulling curls behind his ear, so he let him know, “I’m drunk enough for your bed now.”

“What the hell?” Was the laughed comment.

“Done!” Ty eagerly claimed him. He moved to coax Sam off the couch, “come on light-weight.”

“I’m tougher than you,” Sam couldn’t open his eyes. It was hard to say if the words made it past his lips or not.

“Uh-huh,” Ty was laughing at him. He must have heard.

Even through the haze he couldn’t seem to see through, the pain registered. Movement was damned painful!

He felt a hand holding his face at the jawline. Ty’s words reached him, “what happened?”

Slowly he was able to open his eyes. He glared. Though, it would be more effective if Ty wasn’t swimming about his vision.

There was grudging admiration, “even drunk he can be cagy. Damn!”

That sounded like Geo. But then, could have been Court too. They did sound a lot alike. Was that because they were twins?

The laughter around him made him question what the hell was going on.

“You sure he can’t stay up a little longer? We might find out something?”

“Pfft, not likely,” he was muttering this to himself.

Ty was his defense, “you heard him, it’s bedtime.”

“How do we know you’re not going to take advantage of the situation up there alone?”

“You know me…”

“It’s okay,” he didn’t realize he was cutting Ty off. Looking over with heavy eyes, he told them, “he’s got censent.”

“You heard him,” Ty began walking.

“It doesn’t count when he can’t even say the word properly.”

He was moving, which drew his attention away from the growing annoyance he thought he might be feeling. It was hard to make sense of where he was and how he was able to get there. And so, he trusted Ty and the strength he had.

“You’re safe,” he was leaning heavily into the arms holding him.

“You sound upset.”

Sam glared at Ty’s neck because his head was too heavy to lift.

“You’re mine now to keep safe,” the promise felt as warm as the kiss upon his forehead.

The bed was soft as he sat down upon it. A familiar bed. Standing before him, Ty was coaxing Sam to let go of his side. But the pain keeping him awake was too great when he moved. With his other hand, he tried to push Ty away.

Whispered words softly hit his ear, “it’s time to let go, Sam.”

Feeling like a breath was hard to get, he grabbed a hold of Ty.

“What is it?” Ty’s hand stroked his hair.

Ty was pulled to the bed. Sam could be strong when he wanted to be. But the way Ty held him sort of said that he wanted to let Sam have his way. He glared as his fingers pulled petulantly at Ty’s sleeve.

His shirt moved up with a promise Ty was making, “I’m not letting you go. Just hang onto me.”

And so, he did. Especially when the pain from moving his arms up was too intense. But he wasn’t going to cry. Crying was for when he was alone.

Ty’s hand was touching the skin beneath a deep bruise on his ribcage, “I need you to tell me what happened.”

Feeling the pain in more ways than one, Sam shook his head. He wouldn’t answer because he remembered the truth.

“So damned stubborn,” Ty accused.

He looked up to challenge, “disappointed?”

Was he afraid? Afraid that he was letting Ty down?

Lips were upon his cheek, “definitely not disappointed.”

He wouldn’t think about why those words made him feel so good. A heavy head pressed to Ty’s shoulder. Gentle was the touch running over Sam’s hair.

“You’re a snuggler,” he seemed pleased.

There was no response. Lightly, he tilted the chin up to find Sam had passed out. His thumb ran over Sam’s cheek next to the bruising. “I’m not above taking advantage of you like this,” he warned. A soft kiss touched his forehead.

Side Story

Peyton listened to the events as Tanner told them. Sam was hurt, and right now he wasn’t talking. Not because he couldn’t, but because he wouldn’t. That was the friend Peyton had let into his life. By now, he wasn’t surprised by the way Sam was. It was just disheartening because Sam needed help yet, he wouldn’t ask for it.

But Sam was going to get the help regardless. Tanner let him know where Sam had been found. Unfortunately, there weren’t any cameras in that area. He knew this because he was actively looking for them. He could see Sam leave the bar and head down the street. But the moment he left the bar’s cameras, Sam was lost to them. If he’d known Sam was in danger, he wouldn’t have stopped Ty from going after him. How long did it take before the attack happened? How long was Sam alone in pain? Why did he let his friend go off alone? He should have been there. Whether Sam wanted to admit it or not, Peyton had a job to look after the one person who had given him hope. He had just failed his friend.

“Can you really find out something?” Tanner was curious.

“So far it’s not looking good, but I’m just getting started. How bad is he?”

“Don’t blame yourself for this,” Tanner was quick to adamantly state this.

But he didn’t want to hear it. Sam was his friend. The only friend he had, and he was Sam’s only friend. They shared something that they didn’t need to talk about, but it had created a bond. Sam shouldn’t have gone through this alone.

“Tanner,” he was uncharacteristically harsh.

Tanner listened, and gave in with a soft sigh, “we’re going to try to get him to a hospital.”

“He won’t go,” he let him know.

“There’s not really a choice,” Tanner argued.

But that argument was useless on Peyton because he knew it was useless on Sam. He gave Tanner a helping hand, “he isn’t going to go, but you can dull his attitude so that you can get an idea of how bad he really is. Let him drink, but don’t make it obvious. Figure out the rest from there.”

“Okay,” there was reluctance in Tanner’s voice.

“Just trust me,” he insisted. “I’ll keep working on finding out what the hell happened because he isn’t going to tell you.”

“He isn’t going to protect whoever did this,” Tanner had understandable doubt.

But that doubt was based upon a normal person’s perspective. Peyton knew better. “It isn’t about protecting them. It’s about protecting himself.”

He hung up without explaining what he meant. It was probably stupid to trust these people with his friend, but his friend had some reason for trusting them. So, he had to do the same. He continued working on finding any cameras in the area that would give them an ID on who had attacked Sam.