Chapter Text
“If you two don’t shut the hell up, I’m going to your rooms and tearing them apart.” Larry simply ignored Yumi and his threats, (he never followed through anyway) and just continued running from Tanner.
They were in the living room, Larry, Tanner, Nick, Yumi, and Isaac.
Larry and Tanner were chasing each other around the house just screaming their heads off, while the others occupied the couch.
“Oh yeah? I’d like to see you try.” Tanner always responded, knowing that the statement would only get him riled up.
“Isaac.” His irritation was painfully evident.
“Yumi.” It was obvious by his tone that Isaac was amused by the whole situation.
“Nick.” Annoyance was seeping through, aimed at the wrong people.
“Yumi.” Nick shared a look with Isaac before directing his attention to Yumi.
“Tell them to shut their mouths! For once!” He flailed his arms in their direction.
“And you think we can control them? At all?” Nick crossed his arms and looked at the two who seemed to be in their own world, making fun of Yumi. (At some point they stopped running and just collapsed onto the beanbag, when that happened? No one could recall.)
“Maybe they’ll listen to you two!” Yumi was frustrated, like he usually was when it came to Larry and Tanner.
“We won’t.” Larry and Tanner snapped their heads to look at each other before laughing, knowing that they would, without a doubt, stop if genuinely asked by Isaac or Nick.
“I wasn’t talking to you two. Isaac, please.” Yumi put his hands together, head bowed. Begging for Isaac to put a stop to them and what they did every single night.
“What do you want me to say? Tanner and Larry, you stop right now!” He pointed a finger at them before dropping it and shaking his head, laughing a bit, “You think that would stop them?” Yumi looked at the scene unfolding. Both the boys he complained about, were ignoring him completely.
“I’m about to leave.” He looked between everyone there.
“You always say that and how often do you do it?” Nick responded, leaning back against the couch.
“This is my own personal hell.” All Yumi could do was slide down, as far as he could without falling off.
“Yeah, we know.” Isaac said as he shared another look with Nick. Larry and Tanner had started to play patty cake, and all Yumi could do was groan.
There was nothing happening besides the playing of some unidentified movie in the background, quiet comments between Isaac and Nick, and the various activities that Larry and Tanner would switch to.
That was until Larry’s phone started ringing. It wasn’t unusual, Larry had always been a popular guy, but he usually recognized the numbers.
This time he didn’t.
But he answered, because maybe someone got a new phone, or he forgot to save a number, stuff like that happened a lot, so he answered.
(Answering this call cost him almost everything, more than he’d ever admit.)
“Hello?” Larry was less focused on the phone call and more on the way Tanner was gently playing with his hand, eager to get back to their shenanigans.
He was met with silence.
“Hello?? Is there anyone there?” Tanner was tugging at his hand now, gently, but with a sense of urgency (he really just couldn’t stand being unoccupied for longer than 10 seconds).
“It’s nice to hear your voice. And here I thought, our very own Larry Croft had disappeared on us. Even I started to think you didn’t exist.” Suddenly, it felt as if time had stopped. The smile that was permanently engraved on his face, had faltered. His grip tightened, enough to be noticeable. Tanner’s head shot up and he just looked at him, hinting at curiosity.
“I don’t know who that is. Are you sure you don’t have the wrong number?” He forced his smile to its usual position to avoid any breaks in his shield, but Tanner could see it (he managed to see right through him, he always did).
“Don’t be like that, man. Let’s not forget the position you’re still in, despite all that lost time.” He could almost see the smirk on that bastard’s face.
“Just give me a minute,” He slowly pulled his hand away from Tanner, moving to get up. “I’ll be back in a second, guys.” He whispered, he got a couple nods and an okay from Issac, but Tanner just looked at him. He shot a quick, reassuring smile his way, and moved to the walk outside.
“Are you all alone now?” The voice sent chills up his spine and the tone made him want to curl up, hide from the world, but he couldn’t, especially not right now.
“Yes, what about it? What do you want?” Everything he had worked for, everything he had done to forget who he was, erased in an instant.
“I think you know.” He sang it as if it was a melody, as if he hadn’t beat him until he couldn’t breathe, as if he didn’t live in fear of being spotted, as if he was completely fine.
“Be more specific.” Larry knew what he wanted.
“How much more specific can I get? You owe me money, and I want it back.” And he knew that Larry had it.
“Oh, do I now?” If he didn’t have to, he didn’t want to. (But how far can you really run from debt?)
“Don’t play dumb, you know where that got you last time.” With a fractured jaw, collapsed lung, and covered in his own blood. He stood in silence before the man continued, “And from what I hear, you’ve found yourself a nice little group of friends, some may even call it family.”
His blood ran cold. The one emotion he shoved as deep as it would go because it never ended well, began to resurface: anger.
Larry got angry, like everyone does, but he was always a little different. He would just go quiet. He’s always had a quiet anger, he’d seem fine, but he was just brewing in fury. He would continue on as if it didn’t affect him at all, it did.
And then he would reach a breaking point.
It was scary, for him and others. He hated it.
It’s one of the things he was known for once upon a time, but things changed so he needed to as well. He used his humor to cover it up, so it was never really that serious. But this guy had always had a way of pushing his buttons.
“You leave them the fuck alone.” All he could do was whisper the line, it was the only tone his rage allowed him to speak in.
It was the man’s specialty, destroying families. It focused less on destroying families, but more on the psychological torture of knowing that someone was out to get them.
But the family never knew, and they were never in danger.
(Larry knew this, but he didn’t want to risk it, especially since this time, the chosen family had no idea who he used to be. And he didn’t want them to find out.)
He just liked seeing people beg, not only for the safety of their family, but to be hurt in their place. He loved seeing people beg to hurt.
“You’ve got a mouth on you now! How surprising. Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?” He could almost see the disgusting smile.
“Friend?” The word made him laugh, it was outrageous. There was so much he wanted to say, but there’s no way he could say it now, especially since he wasn’t completely alone.
“Yeah, I mean we go way back! We’ve known each other since the beginning, so I’d consider you a friend.” He felt disgusted.
“Do you usually beat your friends up, so bad that they still have the scars years later? Is that normal? Do you usually threaten people they consider family? Do you usually do that?” He was fuming, and as much as he wanted to yell at the top of his lungs, he just couldn’t.
“You really did get a mouth on you,” He heard the man whisper down the line, “So, here’s how this is going to work, okay?” He could hear the facade cracking, the anger he was used to, breaking through. “I’m going to call you back tomorrow, and you’re going to answer.”
“And if I don’t?” He felt terrified. His anger transformed into fear. The anger always made him bolder than he felt, but it always seeped into fear. He was always afraid back then, it felt like it was his default, but he had finally gotten away from it.
However, that wasn’t the case anymore. But he wouldn’t back down. He couldn’t.
“Why are you being so difficult? Have you really forgotten? Do you need me to say it?” Maybe he changed.
“Tell me. Tell me what you’ll do, Lucas.” Maybe he changed.
“You’re using my name now?” Maybe he changed.
“Say it, Lucas.” Maybe he changed.
“I’d hurt you, Larry, and them.” He didn’t.
“Hurt who, exactly?” He didn’t.
“The people you just walked away from, your little found family, and you.” He didn’t.
“How?” He just didn’t.
“In worse ways than you can imagine, Larry Croft.” He just fucking didn’t.
The silence was loud. He couldn’t help the tear that escaped his eye. He didn’t make any noise, he just stared at the sky, and didn’t speak. The man didn’t either. He didn’t know where the sliver of hope, the blinded optimism, came from, but he hated himself for it. He knew the man wouldn’t change, but he let himself believe it.
“Okay.” All he could do was whisper.
“Check your mailbox, preferably before your roommates.” Of course there’d be something in there.
“Do something for me Lucas?” Just one.
“You’re not in any position to ask for anything.” His voice lacked the bite it had before.
“Humor me?” Just this one thing.
“Fine, what?” I wish you would change.
“Promise me, you’ll leave them alone? You can do whatever you want to me. You can beat me until I can’t breathe. You can hurt me so bad that I can’t walk. You can do anything. Just please.” Desperation.
“I can’t promise anything, you know that.” Trace amounts of empathy.
“Please.” Fucking please.
“And you’ll get my money?” The only thing he’ll ever care about.
“Yes, not all at once, but I will.” He was begging.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” He hung up.
“You didn’t promise.” He mumbled the words while lowering the phone slowly. A few stray tears escaped his eyes. He stood there for a few moments longer before going around the house to get to the mailbox.
He opened it, and saw a container.
And the vessel contained dozens upon dozens of pictures. There were shots of everyone in the house, as recent as that morning.
Hopeless.
Numb.
Afraid.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but he couldn’t say a word. He just put the lid back on and held it for a moment before walking to the backyard again.
He put the box in the grill (he had never seen one person open the damn thing anyway, they wouldn’t start now), and he just stood in silence.
He walked to the back door and just stared at the handle. He really didn’t want to go inside. As much as he adored the people scattered across their shared living room, they didn’t need to see this side of Larry, the side he tried so hard to hide.
He didn’t want them to.
Now, all he could do was stare at the gateway to his little world of happiness and wonder if he really deserved it. With everything he’s done, did he really deserve this sliver of paradise?
Before he opened the door, he stopped. He rubbed at his eyes, erasing any evidence of the tears that fell, and practiced his usual smile, despite the fact that smiling was the last thing he felt like doing.
He ran a hand through his hair, and shoved his phone in his pocket, eager to get it out of his hands (his head contained the echoes and he just felt so dirty).
He took a final breath and opened the door.
The movie had changed, Nick had fallen asleep, Tanner played with a plushie in his immediate vicinity, and the other two seemed to be dozing.
He surveyed the room, just taking in the sight before him. He was surrounded by people he cared about more than he could put into words, and they had no idea how much he would do for them (or how much he was about to do).
He grabbed a few blankets from the closest closet and headed towards the couch. He laid them gently over everyone on the couch first. Isaac and Nick shared and Yumi got his own. They made hums of thanks, but nothing more.
He went to the beanbag and laid down next to Tanner gently. Tanner looked over slowly, noticeably relaxing when he realized who it was.
“You’re back,” Tanner spoke softly, he abandoned his chosen Pochita and moved closer to Larry. “I was waiting.”
“I’m back,” He spoke just as soft, and grabbed the blanket he had set down next to himself. He spread open the blanket, giving part of it to Tanner. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see him, just analyzing his face. “Thanks for waiting.”
“Who was on the phone?” Larry froze for a moment before he started spreading the blanket again. I have one job, not to let them find out, just one. And I’m blowing it.
“It was someone from my hometown, don’t worry about it.” He avoided eye contact because he knew he’d be fucked if he looked at Tanner right now.
He’d spill everything he’d been trying to hide, and it’d be all Tanner’s fault because Larry had never been able to lie to those inviting watercolor eyes.
Never.
And he knew that.
“Hey, are you okay?” Larry sat up to soothe the blanket down.
“I’m fine, why do you ask?” He laid back down and looked at him. Tanner just switched looking at each of his eyes and blinked slowly. He looked like he was trying to figure something out in his mind, but eventually just shook his head and pulled Larry closer.
“No reason, just a feeling. It’s nothing.” He shoved his nose in Larry’s hair.
“You and your stupid feelings.” Since they met, Tanner always just kind of knew. He knew if Larry was upset, if he was about to do something dumb, if he had just gotten beat up beyond recognition, he just knew.
He never knew exactly, but he would just know if something was going on with him.
And he was always right.
“What?” Tanner’s big, stupid chest muffled his voice, stopping the comment from carrying to his ears.
“Nothing man, let’s just sleep,” He pulled his head back a little to speak, but ended up just shoving his face further and treasuring the smell of his friend. “I’m tired.”
(Larry had always been a smell guy. It may sound a bit weird, but it really wasn’t. The way someone smelled said a lot, and he had always been sensitive to stuff like that.
He found comfort in the familiarity of his friends, and he associated the calmness and relaxation with the way they smelled. It was almost as important as the friendship itself, but he’d never admit that.)
“Goodnight Larry.” He felt Tanner rest his cheek on the top of his head.
“Goodnight Tanner.” He felt arms wrap around him as he drifted. He was surrounded by his handcrafted paradise and all he could hear was the soft snores from the people who’d deny that they snored until they died.
He smiled.
And the smile he drifted with, was one of the last they’d see.
And they had not one idea.
The contagious laughter that Tanner had echoing throughout the house while chasing Larry, was one of the last times they’d hear it.
And they had not one idea.
The day Larry stopped smiling, Tanner stopped laughing.
And still, no one realized what happened.
They had not one idea.
Until it was too late.