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Tommy got off light.At least thats what everyone kept telling him. But Tommy always thought the words “dishonorable discharge” were pretty heavy. Not to mention his rank getting taken from him even before being discharged. People keep telling Tommy that he is still a war hero because of the tank incident, and Tommy wonders if that has anything to do with why he didn’t end up having to finish his service in jail. Tommy can’t fight.Frank agreed to train him but won’t do it until his arm is totally healed, and if Frank found out Tommy was fighting still he would refuse to train him at all. Frank was always a different kind of hard ass.***Autumn never seems to last long enough.At least thats how Tom felt. Autumn for some reason was convinced that the two of them had lasted plenty of time. Two hundred days of Autumn was directly followed by three days of Jose Quervo. Eventually Tom’s mother called. Of course he ignored the call, but the woman was persistent. It was a good thing he ended up getting to work that week, because otherwise he wouldn’t have been around to be informed about his new project in Pittsburgh. His insides sort of felt like they didn't belong ever since Autumn left, but leaving seemed as good a solution as any. ***Not being able to train wasn’t going to keep Tommy from the gym.Most mornings he came in after his run and watched the newer guys work with Frank. Since no one was training for anything big Frank had time to bounce around giving pointers to all the guys. Eventually Frank told Tommy that if he was going to be taking up space he might as well help out, so sometimes Tommy would teach the beginners the very basics like how to throw a punch and footwork. Franks teaching style was very specialized, but even Tommy could teach the simple things.A couple of the guys who had just started coming in invited Tommy over one night. They couldn’t have been older than twenty five. Brian and A.J., they were roomates living in some bachelor pad twenty minutes from the gym. Tommy took a chance and showed up, only to find that “a couple of us guys kickin’ it” was a full blown party with hardly legal girls and a keg. It didn’t take long for the guy selling pills to sniff Tommy out. The guy said it was because he noticed Tommy didn’t seem as stoked as everyone else about the pot and the beer, so he figured he might need something else. He had stopped using for the most part after his fight with his brother, but like an old friend, the drugs always found a way back in. With a final “fuck it” Tommy pocketed a half bottle of Xanax and downed two off the bat.The night went better after that.***Tom was fucking tired of being treated like second string.So when the office coffee runner, Allen, invited him over to his place that night, it only took about thirty seconds for Tom to say yes. Allen was one of the only people at the office who had a good word to say to Tommy. Everyone else just thought he was some kid trying to get his big break, when it he hadn’t really even wanted to be transferred.So that night Tom made his way to the bachelor pad Allen shared with two other guys, A.J and something that started with a B. Tom would have sworn that parties like this only happened in indie movies that left you feeling uncomfortable and a little bit empty inside, but as he sat on the disgusting plaid couch with the cigarette burns on it he began reconsidering. There was a guy built like a brick shithouse sat opposite him in an armchair, legs splayed wide like he ruled the place. Not that Tom was going to challenge him on that because honestly the guy was fucking enormous. Tom later found out his name was Tommy Riordan, and a google search confirmed Toms initial thought that the guy could rip him in half.Tom wasn’t one hundred percent sure what anyone was on, but when someone offered him a joint he was feeling just uncomfortable enough to accept. A few drinks later he was wondering if he was too old for that kind of party, so he drank some more. The whole time Tom was having his silent crisis Tommy just sat across from him with a slight smirk twisted on his face, as if he knew some big secret that Tom didn’t.When he woke up the next morning with slightly foggy memory of the night before, he was surprised to find the his memory of Tommy smirking at him was crystal clear.***Tommy Riordan was not a man to fuck around. So when he started using again, he really started using. He bought from people for a while, but eventually he just ended up going to a psychiatrist and getting diagnosed with PTSD. Tommy wondered if it was really right for him to be using his time in the Marines to his advantage like that, but he was already dishonorably discharged and it just didn’t get a whole lot worse than that. He ended up at Brian and A.J.’s place most nights, but some nights he would get absolutely trashed and walk around the shitty parts of town until someone picked a fight with him. Or on nights when he was not feeling self destructive he would go sit on the beach until he passed out. There was a guy who came around sometimes, Tommy was pretty sure his name was also Tom, which was a little weird at first, but the guy only showed up every few weeks. He somehow managed to look younger and older than everyone else at the same time. He looked physically young, but the way he carried himself and the way he didn’t run around screaming like a college student indicated he was older than he looked. Maybe it was the fact that he was quiet, or maybe it was the fact that when someone spilled a beer on him he punched him in the jaw, but Tommy liked that guy.***
The first time Tom ever really talked to Tommy was the night when Tom sort of accidentally ended up keeping a fistfight from breaking out. Tom was plastered at the time, which was in all honesty a huge mistake because he had work the next morning and he had no idea why he kept doing this to himself. He had stumbled his way into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water in an attempt to maybe lessen the inevitable hangover. He only ended up drinking about half the glass because most of it ended up on the front of his shirt. In stumbling out of the kitchen he managed to fall right between two very large guys who were growling in each others faces. Tom expected to hit the ground as he mentally told himself he was too goddamn old for this, but was pleasantly surprised when he ended up being held up by a hulking figure.“Come ‘mere, you doin’ alright kid?” The large and comfortable figure said, the other guy seemed to back away.“M’names Tom.” Tom slurred into the other guys shoulder.“Ah yeah, I think I knew that one actually. Look as much as I’d love to kick your ass I’ve apparently just become caregiver for a college student so maybe next time hm?” The voice, which Tom now recognized as Tommy Riordans, said and threw an arm around Toms waist.“‘M not in college!” Tom yelled somewhat furiously and felt Tommy scoff.“Yeah right, well we are getting out of this fucking place either way so don’t puke or anything.” Tommy grumbled in his thick Pittsburgh accent.Fifteen minutes later and Tom was lying spread eagle in the cool sand of the Pittsburgh beach. The cool air had managed to sober him up some and Tom was able to keep his eyes open long enough to watch Tommy throw back some pills and chase them with a swig of rum. Tommy noticed Tom watching him.“Ah, so now you're awake after I practically had to carry your ass out here. Damn lightweights.” Tommy said, emphasising his words with another drink.“Uh, yeah, I guess. Sorry?” Tom managed to get out through the muddled confusion of his mind.“Whatever, don’t worry about it. That idiot wouldn’t have gotten out of my face otherwise and I promised A.J. I wouldn’t start any fights at his place after that last one.” Tommy said. Tom had no idea what ‘that last one’ was, but Tommy didn’t say it in such a way that he felt like he could really ask questions.Tom wasn’t sure exactly how much time passed, but he woke up the next morning on a couch with a scratchy blanket over the top of him and the shower running. A quick survey of the area and the fact that Tommys coat was lying on the chair next to him left Tom to assume he had passed out and Tommy had taken him home, not necessarily in that order. A quick look at his phone, which was thankfully still in his pocket, told him that he had less than an hour to get to work. With that Tom was up off the couch and tying his shoes, ignoring the terrible headache that was pounding behind his eyes. Just before dashing out the door Tom scratched his number on the pad of paper lying on the messy counter along with ‘Thanks - Tom”***“Hello?”“Yeah it’s Tommy. Where are you at?”“I’m at home in bed, like everyone else with a job.”“I have a job.”“Your job is different.”“Yeah.”“Tommy? Hello?”“....” [Call Disconnected]***The next time Tom found his way to Allens Tommy was nowhere to be found. Tom wandered around for a couple hours, making his way through four or five drinks in his boredom. Tom had just begun to consider calling a cab when suddenly Tommy burst through the front door holding up a half unconscious guy and sporting a black eye. Tommy couldn’t tell what was more worrying; the way Tommy sort of threw the other guy onto the sofa or the way he was tossing back a handful of pilled before the other guy even hit the cushins. Tom didn’t see the other man for two weeks after that, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to.***“Hello?”“Tom.”“Yeah? Whats up Tommy?”“You haven’t been around, you avoiding us all?”“Not really, I’m just busy is all.”“Right of course, you coming by tonight?”“No im pretty-”“Busy, tired, yeah I got it.”“Tommy are you okay? You sound more fucked up than usual.”“Never better.”[Call Disconnected]***Tommy almost didn’t notice Tom come in one night.It was late and Tommy was high. Everyone else was leaving, so it seemed a bit strange to Tommy that Tom was only just showing up. He mostly tuned out what was going on around him, but he could hear Brian saying something to Tom. “Know where he lives” and “worried” were the only things Tommy could really pick out from the conversation but before he had time to process whatever they had been saying Tommy was being pulled up out of his very comfortable chair. “Eyyy, whats goin’ on?” He mumbled, feeling surprising uncoordinated.“I’m taking you home, you going to work with me on this or am I going to have to drag you?” Tom said, sounding only marginally irritated.Tommy didn’t respond, however he did start making an effort to support his own weight as Tom lead him out to his car. Once in the car Tommy was content staring out the window while Tom drove, but Tom had other ideas.“How much did you take?” Tom asked, but Tommy wasn’t able to recognize any emotion in his voice.“Enough.”“More than usual?” Tom asked, but was met with only silence.“Tommy I’m not going to fucking lecture you I just want to know incase you start getting sick on me.” Tom said, now sounding angry.“Yeah a bit more.” Tommy surrendered finally, laying his forehead against to cool glass of the windshield.“Why?” Tom pressed.“What do you fucking mean why? Because I fucking wanted to alright I’m not a goddamn girl.” Tommy spat, getting angry himself suddenly.“Christ, fucking calm down.” Tom said and was silent for a moment.“I’m going to stay with you for a while okay? Just to make sure.” Tom said, but he didn’t say it in a way that sounded like Tommy had any choice in the matter.“Aight, whatever.” Tommy said before pressing his forehead harder against the glass and wishing everyone would stop asking him things.***“Whats up Tommy?”“You should fight Tom.”“Wow, that is the very top of the list of worst ideas I’ve ever heard. Also its three in the morning.”“Well you sound pretty awake so im obviously not bothering you.”“The only reason I’m awake is because my body is getting used to these middle of the night phone calls.”“Well if you came out more I wouldn’t have to always call you.”“I’m too old to go out every night.”“We are the same age.”“Well you’re probably too old to go out every night also but that doesn’t seem to stop you.”“I’ve never been known for being reasonable really.”“I’ve got to be up early Tommy. I’ll talk to you next time I guess.”“Yeah, all right.”“...”“Tommy?”“Huh?”“Why do you only call me when you're high?”“...”[Call Disconnected]