Caleb/Tyler - Strong Tower - Hurt/Comfort

"Knock it off, Reid," Tyler chuckled and pushed his best friend away. "It's my mom, God," He shook his head and answered his phone.

Reid rolled his eyes and let himself fall onto the couch, folding his hands under his head as he went back to watching Pogue play one of his racing games.

Caleb, though, was watching the play of emotions on Tyler's face, then he was watching him as he got up and excused himself, which earned Tyler a worried look from Caleb, a raised eyebrow from Reid, and a shrug from Pogue.

The room fell quiet and Reid couldn't have that, so he broke the silence with a challenge: "So… who's ass am I kicking in Smash Bros this time?"

"Oh, you're so on," Pogue smirked and threw a controller at Reid.

Caleb pulled his eyes away from the living room entrance and laughed at his friends' antics. "What's the point? Both of you are gunna cheat anyway."

"Yeah well…"

"Shut up, Caleb."

"Yeah."

Caleb was pretty sure that was the only thing that Reid and Pogue could ever agree on.

When Reid and Pogue had played at least five rounds and Tyler wasn't back yet, Caleb started getting worried, but he shrugged it off.

Then the other two played so much, they got bored and switched the game--Tyler still wasn't back. Caleb couldn't shake off the worry then.

"Hey, guys, I'll be right back," Caleb murmured as he got up. The younger boys barely acknowledged him and he left without another word.

He wandered around the first floor for a bit, but was only met with Reid's dog in the kitchen--he barely got out of there with his hand still intact.

He checked upstairs but couldn't find Tyler in any of the rooms the Sons usually went into and there wasn't any response to his calls.

The only places left were outside so Caleb headed out there.

As soon as he stepped out the front door, he spotted Tyler. He was sitting on top of the Garwins' shed and facing the forest near the manor.

"Tyler?" Caleb called out as he made his way over to the shed, "You alright?"

"I'm fine, Caleb, I just… wanna be alone." Was Tyler's soft response, but even in that soft voice, Caleb noticed a shakiness about the words.

"You sure?" He asked as he climbed the ladder to the top of the shed, "I'll sit out here with you if you want."

Tyler just shrugged and hugged his knees to his chest.

"What's going on, Ty?" Caleb murmured as he settled himself down next to Tyler.

"My dad died."

"What?"

Caleb wasn't expecting that, especially not in such a blunt form, not from Tyler, anyway. The Sims bloodline was known for living the longest, having the most control over their Using. Mr. Sims was still young, barely forty, and he was in great shape, much better shape than the rest of his generation.

"He… died, Caleb, he's gone, not here, dead," Tyler's voice broke as he let tears spill down his cheeks.

Caleb let out a quiet sigh and wrapped an arm around Tyler to pull him closer. "What happened?"

He wasn't expecting the bitter laugh that came out of Tyler.

"Car crash. He died in a car crash. All our lives we worry about the Power eating us alive and here my dad is, perfectly fine, perfectly not addicted, and he dies in a stupid car crash A.. car crash."

Tyler buried his face in Caleb's shoulder as he let more tears fall; he clung onto Caleb and sobbed his heart out. It still didn't seem real to him but the tug at his heart kept reminding him it was.

Caleb swallowed down the lump that formed in his throat and held onto his little brother. "Did anyone else get hurt?"

"I don't know, I don't care. My mom's fine and my dad's dead."

Tyler didn't mean to sound so angry, or to let his anger out by grabbing onto Caleb even more, but he couldn't stop himself.

"It's gunna be okay, baby boy," Caleb soothed and ran his hand up and down Tyler's back, "It'll be alright."

"How can you say that?!" Tyler sobbed out and hit his fist against Caleb's chest, "My dad's dead! Nothing's gunna be okay, nothing's gunna be alright! He's gone, Caleb, nothing's gunna be the same anymore!"

"You're gunna be okay," Caleb promised, his hand held onto the one that hit his chest, "You're gunna get through it, we're all here for you. I'm here for you."

"But he's gone," Tyler whimpered and clung onto Caleb even more desperately.

He kept clinging on and Caleb kept holding him even as the day faded to night. The other Sons had eventually came looking for them, but Caleb assured them that he had it and they were okay. Reid almost argued with him but the wave of emotion he felt from Tyler kept him back and he reluctantly went back inside with Pogue.

Tyler eventually tired out from all the crying he had done and fell asleep in Caleb's arms; even in his sleep, he was clinging onto Caleb like he was his only lifeline, his tower of strength. At that time, Caleb's eyes flashed black as he Used to get him and Tyler into one of the guestrooms in the Garwin manor.

He laid Tyler down on the bed and let go of him so at least get his shoes off but as soon as they weren't touching anymore, Tyler was up and grabbing for Caleb, pleading with him to stay.

"I'll stay, I promise, just let me get your shoes off, okay?"

At Tyler's weak nod, Caleb went back to sliding the younger boy's shoes off, then he slid his own off and settled down next to Tyler, who clung onto him again.

"Don't leave."

"I won't."

Tyler was content with that answer; he closed his eyes and let sleep take him away--everything was okay as long as Caleb was there and the darkness of sleep had him under its spell.

NOTE: Dear Lord, I wasn't expecting that much people to add this story to their alert list after that last note. XDD I was amazed, seriously amazed! Once again, thank you! And thank you to those who gave me prompts J I appreciate them greatly and I'm working on them now. You guys are making avoiding all the summer work I have a whole lot easier, hehehe.