Pairing: Onesided (of age) Tucker/Hank
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Notes: Charity fic for heerolovr on livejournal.
Tucker collapses back onto his bed, glad to be home for once. School is stressful, what with all the final exams and papers due at the end of the year. It is ridiculous how much all these teachers expected of the students when they are so close to graduating.
He stares up at the ceiling, thinking about how much he's changed over the last two years. He and Libby had broken up when he began question his sexuality the year before. Not a bad breakup, he had just wanted time and space to figure himself out and she gave it to him, remaining his rock and shelter whenever he needed her.
His thoughts soon turned to Hank as they always did when he had a free moment. The older man had started out as a mentor, someone to look up to, but as Tucker got older, the thoughts changed into something a little less innocent. He had a crush on Hank. That was actually what started him questioning his sexuality. It wasn't anything he could really define about the man, just that he was drawn to him like a magnet.
Hank was smart, funny, nice. An all around good guy. Perfectly straight too, if Jill and Emily were any indication. The thought really didn't hurt as much as he thought it would, but in his mind, he knew he never really stood a chance with the older man. The huge age gap wasn't something that Hank would be willing to ignore.
He liked Hank, but he wasn't in love with him. It was a way to figure out that he wasn't as straight as he had initially thought and that was okay with him. Besides no one ever said he couldn't look if he felt like it. Hank was his friend and a damn good one to have. He knew all about his issues with his father, knew how to help and actually relate. He was empathic without being pitying. Tucker hated pity.
He understood how Tucker wanted to live his life without having to live in a bubble because of disease that made life more difficult for a teenage boy. He encouraged Tucker to take chances, but not reckless ones. He was always there, a phone call or a text message away from helping should Tucker ever need it. Even just to talk about inane things.
It was nice to have someone there for him whenever he needed. Not that he didn't love and appreciate Libby and Oliver, but there was a difference in them and Hank. He knew it was because Hank was an adult and therefore had been around the block, as it were, more times than they had and he was wiser too. He gave advice when he knew it was needed and always knew just what to say to put Tucker at ease.
It wasn't any wonder than Tucker had started crushing on the man. He wasn't ever going to tell him either. Tucker may be eighteen now, but there was no way that Hank would ever consider a relationship with someone he looked on as another little brother. He was just that nice and good of a man. There was no one better, Tucker mused.
That didn't bother him too much though. He was quite happy to have Hank as a friend, one that was cherished and cherished him in return.
There's nothing better than a good friend who knows you better than you know yourself.