Author's Note: Based on a request/prompt from user LeaDegrande
TK rubbed his eyes tiredly, hissing when he hit a tender spot. He was exhausted, but that was nothing new. He felt like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in years, if ever. To truly rest, you needed to feel safe. TK's life had been nothing but danger. But maybe that was about to change. This trip was a last ditch effort to get to somewhere better.
TK's life had been pretty normal, up to a point. He couldn't really remember why that changed, but the details didn't matter. One day he had a loving family and the next, it was just him and his mom. TK didn't like to think about the people they left behind. In the almost decade that had passed, he hadn't heard a single good word about them. It was only out of desperation that he was on his way to see them.
It hadn't been bad at first with his mom. She felt like a superhero to TK, saving him from the people who didn't want him. His mom had never let him feel the pain of their rejection. It was the two of them against the world, until it wasn't.
TK never figured out what he'd done wrong to trigger the change. There had to be something wrong with him, for him to have been able to push his whole family away without even trying. But it felt like every day, his mom's love for him went away. And it was replaced by disdain. The once vibrant, beautiful woman had started to wither in front of his eyes. TK still had hope that he could salvage things though. Then Enzo came into their lives.
"We'll be reaching our destination in approximately one hour," the voice announced over the loudspeaker of the bus. TK let the interruption of his thoughts steer him away from that particular path. Whenever he thought of his mom's boyfriend, it never ended well. And freaking out in front of a bunch of strangers when he was stuck with them wasn't a good idea.
TK had been lucky enough to get the money to buy his ticket. He wasn't proud of how he'd earned it, but he had to do what he had to do. Any money he brought into the house had gone straight into his mother's veins. Even when he tried to hide it, it was taken. And then he'd gotten a beating on top of that for being sneaky. Only a beating, if he was lucky. And he thought that was going to be his life for the three years he had left until he was a legal adult, but fate had intervened.
It was such a typical day when it happened. Enzo and his mom had been screaming at each other in the front seat of the beater he'd scrounged up from somewhere, while TK was sitting in the back and wishing he was anywhere else. One second they were there and the next second they were through the windshield. They never wore their seat belts, but TK did. That was why they went to the morgue and TK went home with a few cuts and a bruise across his chest.
Of course TK's troubles hadn't ended there. Now he was alone, with only the trash left in their shitty apartment. He'd rounded up anything of value that he could carry, then took off, deciding to try his hand at living on the streets. He lasted all of two days, before a man had cornered him in an alley and told him he looked pretty. TK had gotten away with only a black eye and a pile of new nightmares to add to the others, but also a new determination to get out of the city and start over somewhere new. There had to be a place where he could make a new life for himself.
A few years prior, TK had found an old picture his mom kept shoved in the bottom of one of her old purses. It was of their family, before everything changed. There were enough details in it for TK to do a few internet searches and find information on his dad and brother. He kept tabs on them over the years, even though he didn't have a very good reason as to why. But now he was glad for it, since it was his best shot to get a leg up. They may not care about him, but he might be able to guilt them into giving him a few bucks to stay out of their lives for good. And since TK only had twenty dollars in his pocket, he needed it to work.
The man sitting next to TK coughed and he flinched, wrapping his arms around himself to try to take up as little space as possible. He hated being trapped with so many strangers. He'd even made sure to snag an aisle seat, just so he wouldn't feel so boxed in. Luckily, his seatmate was old and spent most of his time sleeping. TK hadn't gotten more than a couple snatches of sleep here and there since his mom died. He was starting to feel drunk, like the times Enzo kept forcing alcohol on him so he could-
TK quickly slapped his cheeks, forcing those memories away. Enzo was dead and gone now and couldn't do anything anymore. He'd even checked the body to make sure. It hadn't fully sunk in though, especially when it came to his mother. Part of him still loved her, no matter what she put him through. There was still that little bit of hope in his heart that she would change for the better and be the mom he needed. But now it was too late.
"Now arriving in Austin, Texas. Please be sure to take all of your luggage and personal effects as you exit the bus. Thank you for riding with us," the voice announced again. TK quickly jogged off the bus as soon as the doors opened, clutching the only bag he had to his chest. It held all of his worldly possessions, so he never wanted it out of his sight.
The first thing to hit TK was the heat. It was the end of June, so he knew that wouldn't be letting up for a while. It was probably a good thing, if he ended up having to spend a few months living on the streets. Being hot at night sounded like it would be better than being cold.
There were so many people around that it kind of reminded him of home. Or what used to be his home. TK was gonna have to stop thinking of it like that. He didn't have a home anymore, but he would soon. Once he figured out where he was going, he was going to thrive. He was going to prove to everyone who had underestimated him that he could make something of himself. And the first day of the rest of his life started now.
The fire station was easy enough to find, thanks to the directions he'd printed out at the library back in New York. It would've been easier with his phone, but it was a casualty of the car accident. Not having anything on him for people to track made him feel better though, even though he didn't know why anyone would bother. He hadn't left any real friends behind. When you moved around and changed names more times than you could count, you stopped bothering with trying to form connections. TK hadn't decided what name he was going to go by for good yet, but maybe he'd find inspiration along the way.
He hovered outside of the doors of the building, gathering up the courage to go in. TK was nervous to see his dad and brother again, after so long. He thought he had good memories of them, but they felt like vague dreams now. His mother's vitriol had soured most of them and he couldn't tell what was real or imagined anymore. TK felt like it was safest to assume the worst. It would be better if his guard was up from the beginning.
TK took a deep breath and forced himself to walk inside, knowing that the longer this took, the harder it would be to find someplace safe to sleep that night. He wanted to be in and out, avoiding any unnecessary drama.
The fire trucks seemed so much bigger up close. TK had a hazy recollection of hanging around places like this as a little kid, but that might've just been a fantasy he made up when he learned his dad and brother were firefighters. Like the dreams he'd have sometimes where they'd ride up and save him from his life. Things like that didn't happen.
"Can I help you?" a voice asked from behind him. TK jumped in surprise and spun around, feeling his heart slam against his chest. "Whoa, didn't mean to scare you, kid. You alright?"
"You didn't scare me," TK insisted quickly. Showing any kind of weakness was dangerous, no matter who it was. The woman talking to him looked nice enough, but so had his mom.
"Course not," the woman agreed with a smile. "I'm Marjan. What's your name?"
"I'm looking for Owen Strand," TK replied, keeping any information about himself quiet for now. It felt strange to say that name out loud. TK hadn't used his real last name in years, being forced to use Enzo's ever since his mom met him.
"Cap? Is everything okay?" Marjan asked worriedly.
"Yes, but it's very important that I speak to him. Please," TK added in at the end. No matter what happened to him in his life, it didn't mean he had the right to be rude to strangers. He saved his anger for people who deserved it.
"Well then, I'll take you to him," Marjan replied, waving for TK to follow her. He held onto the straps of his bag as he walked further into the building, making note of the easiest ways to escape. That skill had helped him out of a few jams. They went over to what looked like a kitchen area, where a few other people were standing around. Mostly men, which made TK's steps falter a little before he forced himself to keep going. It wasn't like women couldn't and hadn't hurt him, but he still felt more comfortable around them. And his hesitance around men really didn't help when it came to more personal matters.
"Hey guys, seen Cap around? He has a visitor," Marjan announced to the group. They all turned to look at him and TK had the urge to turn around and run out.
"He stepped out for a minute to take a phone call, but he'll be back soon," a bald man answered. "We getting another probie to replace this one? I gotta say, they're recruiting them younger and younger these days."
"Why would we need a new probie? The one we have is just fine," another man argued, looking a bit nervous.
"Maybe they want to get a good one this time?" a tall woman wondered, trying to look innocent before smirking at the other man's offended glare.
"If we were getting someone new, Judd definitely would've heard about it and told us," Marjan waved off. TK felt his hands get clammy at the sound of his brother's name. This was all starting to get too real. He wasn't ready for this. Maybe if he'd had a good night's sleep and a real meal, he wouldn't feel so off balance.
What if they all laughed in his face? What if they found out what happened to him and decided that he deserved it all and worse? TK convinced himself it would be a mutual disinterest once he got a little cash from them, but he knew in his heart that he craved their acceptance. He never stopped loving his mom and giving her chance after chance. If TK let himself get even a bit of hope that this meeting would go well and it didn't, it would hurt more than he'd ever admit.
"I'm sorry, I think I made a mistake," TK mumbled, backing up to escape the trap he'd fallen into. He should've asked to speak to his dad while standing outside, so he would've been able to leave easier. In his haste to leave quickly, TK didn't pay enough attention to where he was going and ran into something solid. Not something, someone.
"Whoa, traffic jam. Guess we got our signals crossed." TK froze at the sound of a voice that sounded so familiar. It had changed with age, but it still held a tone that transported TK back to his seven year old self. A voice that used to make him feel so safe and loved. Things he hadn't felt in so long. But would it change once they realized who he was? His mom's voice used to sound so soft and loving, but it gradually twisted into something harsh and biting. Maybe that's why his family didn't want him. TK was the problem. TK ruined everything he touched.
"Are you okay?" Marjan asked, approaching him cautiously with her hands up. TK could feel his breathing pick up, but he couldn't stop it. Why had he thought this was a good idea? Why had he thought they would just let him go? It was much more likely that they would send him into foster care. Or juvie. He knew what happened to people like him in places like that.
"I'm sorry, please let me go," TK whimpered, feeling weak and dirty as he resorted back to begging. He was supposed to be brave and strong, ready to take on the world. But at the first sign of anything that made him uncomfortable, he reverted back to a scared little kid, pleading to be left alone. No wonder everyone who met him hated him.
"Is everything alright out here?" TK's breath caught in his throat as his eyes landed on the new person in the room. Even after all these years, he looked the same. His dad.
"I-I-" TK choked out, pressing his lips together when he couldn't get any words out. He watched as a multitude of emotions flashed across his dad's face. From the initial curiosity, to confusion, to worry. But then it shifted closer to something like disbelief and what TK wanted to imagine was hope.
"Tyler?" Owen whispered, staring at him with wide, unblinking eyes. TK heard Judd gasp from behind him, then shift around so they were face to face. TK squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hide himself away from the reality of what was happening. This was too much, too soon.
"Tyler?" Judd asked softly. TK felt a hand land on his shoulder and it snapped him out of his stupor. He bolted toward the exit of the building, feeling the walls closing in on him. The sound of footsteps followed him and he picked up his pace, needing to get away.
As soon as he made it outside and the heat of the sun hit him, his steps faltered. Everything was bearing down on him at once and he felt like he couldn't breathe. The fact that his whole world had changed was finally starting to sink in and he couldn't handle it. It was all too much.
"Tyler!" TK whirled around to face the fire station, but he couldn't focus on any of the people standing there. Everything was blurry and it felt like his body had gone numb. TK tried to take a step back, but it was like he wasn't in control of his limbs anymore. And when he felt himself falling, he did nothing to stop it. TK welcomed the darkness, retreating to the only place where nothing could hurt him.