YOU WERE THE ONE FOR ME

Something Happened

Henry heard about the attack outside Tim's new studio. It had just been a week since Tim relocated to his LA office. He was doing so well with the celebrities that the network thought it was a waste of resources keeping him away from the heart of Hollywood. No one could imagine something like this ever happening.

Henry did not understand how the attackers even knew exactly how, when and where to find him. Almost no one knew who Tim was to Henry other a few common friends and of course his team. But he trusted them.

Was someone from the inside helping them, someone from his own team? Was it a jealous ex? Or some friend he shouldn't have trusted? He pushes all the thoughts aside as he heard the doctors calling Tim's name and asking for his family. Since his family lived miles away, Henry and his closest friends made sure to stay as long as necessary. To be honest, it would have been better if Henry did not visit right away. Tim was not going to wake up anytime soon. His managers said it would be best if he visited in the morning. But how could he just let him be alone that night?

The doctors explained the extent of Tim's injuries and Henry was fighting to hold back tears. It was all because of him. He felt responsible for putting Tim in the spotlight. He knew how crazy his stalkers can get. This was not the first time someone he was dating was attacked but it was never this bad.

After the doctor allowed one of them to visit him, Henry found himself rushing like his own life was on the line. His friends decided to stay back in the waiting room for the night while they tried to sort out what to do next once Tim was good to go back home. They did not think his apartment would be safe anymore since the stalkers seemed to know way too much about his whereabouts. So they started getting a separate apartment ready in one of their buildings where they all usually hung out. It would look like any other day even if Henry visited on a regular basis just to be with Tim.

Meanwhile, Henry was sobbing by the foot of the bed. He could not bear the thought of half a dozen men attacking Tim and beating him up until they thought he was dead. He wanted to track them down himself but his manager calmed him and said they would handle it right away. Soon enough, even before Tim was out of surgery, the perpetrators were caught by the local PD. Henry's team was used to tracking down crazy stalkers and even trolls that crossed a line but this time even the local PD did not need convincing.

Henry spent the night on an uncomfortable chair next to Tim, thinking about what he should do next. Should he leave? Would that stop people from hurting Tim? Should he stay just to make sure Tim was safe? None of what he could think of made any sense. So he decided to go get some coffee in a bit. But that coffee never happened as he dozed off in the middle of his thoughts. The next morning he was woken up by one of the nurses who did not rat him out for staying in the room all night. She knew the whole story and sympathized with the young man hooked up to machines just because someone thought his sexuality, whatever it may be, was not valid.

When Henry got to know about the news, about how everyone was trying to publicize the incident, he was way too emotional to think straight. But he couldn't blame the networks either. One of their own was attacked over assumptions of his sexuality in a very inclusive part of the country. They took pride in the fact that they treated self-expression with respect. Even if Tim was gay, that should have never been the reason to put him in harms way.

Of course people were talking about Henry too. Why was he there all the time? Why was he canceling his schedule? Why did a friend mean so much to him? But Henry couldn't care less. He would walk in and out of the hospital in his hoodies with a mask on but people still recognized him. After a point he just stopped and gave the press what they wanted.

"He is my friend and he is alone in such a critical time. All you are doing is trying to wedge between us and driving people to make disgusting allegations hoping that I will get scared and leave. You are the biggest part of this problem." His anger was broadcasted on Live TV and of course his agency was not at all happy about it. Everyone was trying to do damage control for Henry to not loose any future jobs but to their surprise many were in support of the newcomer.

Veteran actors and A-list young stars were hopping onto the tending Hashtag offering their support to the two friends and standing up against paparazzi culture. Everyone had faced something or the other because of nosey paparazzi but no one ever wanted to be where Henry and Tim were. It was heartbreaking and it could have easily been avoided if their privacy was taken more seriously by everyone.

Henry was regretting being open about Tim. He was trying to think of ways they could have done everything they did in the last 6 months without having to be in front of the cameras. His wish to flaunt his relationship was about to cost him the love of his life.

It took Tim a week and a half to fully stabilize. The local PD often sent their detectives to quickly work the case. The assailant were recognized and the charges were filed. The rest did not take long to work out. There were cameras in the parking lot. One of them caught enough to put the assailants there in the date and time of the incident. The rest was also handled well by diligent and very expensive lawyers.

Tim moved into the new apartment and Henry tried not to be seen whenever he visited. His friends helped a lot and Tim was thankful to everyone. But when the door shut and the curtains were drawn, Tim would find himself going through that night's events over and over again until he spent all his emotions and exhausted himself to sleep.

He could still feel those boots stepping on him, those fists knocking the light out of him and those words kept echoing like that night never stopped.

You disgusting piece of shit.
*punch to the face*
*Tim is on the ground*
People like you should have been smothered when you were born.
*kick to the stomach*
*hair pulled to peel his face off the floor*
How did your family let you fuck a boy huh?
Do they like to let you do nasty things?
Should we find them and send them the pictures?
*spit on the face*
*face bashed into the floor*
You were kissing that guy in broad daylight.
Don't you know there are kids playing around?
Couldn't you keep your perverted behavior inside your own home?
*kicked until Tim was unconscious & presumed dead*

He started working a week after he was back home. The network wanted him to focus on his recovery for a bit longer but he insisted on coming back. He couldn't stand being home alone all day with his thoughts or he might do something stupid. His work kept him sane. Every night he would come back home and question everything.

Henry was so happy to have Tim in LA until he couldn't stop blaming himself. It was not his fault. The network decided to send Tim because he was really good at his job. By Henry still felt guilty and tried to limit their social interactions. There was not much they could do anymore. Avoiding public meetings was imperative and Tim was not mentally ready for them to do much in the privacy of they own homes. Sadly even the thought of people touching or being too close to him made Tim jump out of his own skin.

So Henry managed to work out a weekend getaway. He planned everything with Tim's and his own teams to make sure Tim can't say no giving work excuses. Henry did nothing but pamper Tim. And slowly things started to get back to normalcy. Tim was even willing to close the gap between them as they watched a movie one night from the comfort of their bed. It may not seem like much but it was a lot and Henry knew it. Being able to hold Tim after a long time was soothing.

Over the next couple of months they slowly got closer again. It took a lot of courage from Tim and a lot of patience from Henry especially on days when Tim found himself thinking of that night again. It was not going to be easy. Tim couldn't stop himself from questioning their relationship and all Henry could do was try and convince him that they could make things work and that he would never let anyone hurt him ever again.

Things were slowly getting back to normal. They were even having sex again. Henry did not ask him before kneeling down and submitting almost every time. He knew it made Tim happy and he was willing to adjust with the chasing dynamics.

But Tim was not tender anymore. His words did not sooth Henry yet he keep truly his best. Tim would find Henry crying in pain both physically and emotionally and get triggered so Henry learned to toughen up. Henry would hold on for as long as he could and then just ask for forgiveness and walk away.

It was evident that Henry was a keeper. He was sacrificing his own needs to make his man happy. But Tim was not sure he was capable of keeping him in his life anymore. They were just hurting each other now. The gentle relationship where they once enjoyed even each other's silence had turned into something where Tim got annoyed by how their heartbeats were not in sync anymore. And why would they be? Tim was anxious most of the time and Henry was tired and emotionally on the edge of giving up, or at least that's what Tim thought.