"Tom."
His voice was as warm and pleasant as he had remembered it and he felt a sudden pang in his chest for not having called earlier.
"Hi. Hi, Jason," he said and tried really hard to keep his voice from shaking because hearing Jason's familiar voice and realising how much he had missed him made him tear up even more.
"It's lovely to hear from you," the older one replied and Tom could hear that he shuffled about a bit to get comfortable. "It's been a while. How are you?"
"Er...yeah, not – not so good in fact," he said. He croaked and, oh god, felt so ashamed for not calling, for – for everything.
"Oh no," Jason replied and sounded really concerned all of a sudden, "What's the matter, love? You sound very upset."
Love.
"Jade a-and I broke up," he said and at the "up" his voice cracked and he started crying.
"Oh Tom," Jason replied and his voice was so kind and tender as if he tried to make up the fact that he couldn't hug him, "I'm so sorry to hear that, duck. You seemed so happy together. Did it happen just recently?"
Duck.
"Yes," he sniffled, "T-two and a-a half days. She just – I-It's not her fault o-or I'm not mad at her, I'm just – " He snorted with sad laughter. "Look at me, crying here like a stupid, li-ittle baby, I'm so sorry, Dad."
"Don't be, darling. There's nothing to apologise for."
Darling.
"You really loved her, so you must be heart-broken, especially if it only happened two days ago... What happened? Did you have a fight?"
He shook his head, then remembered that Jason couldn't see him. Couldn't hug him.
"No. No, no, I guess we're just..." He brushed away his tears and the snot with the back of his hand. "I'm not able to move on, she is. I-in life, I mean. B-being an adult. Being... a man. A-and she's right, I'm such a child sometimes a-and – "
"Tom," Jason interrupted him gently, "You're the most wonderful, kind and brilliant young man I know. I'm really sorry to hear that it didn't work out with Jade, but when two people break up, it's never just one person's fault. Please don't be so hard on yourself, it sounds as if you're suffering enough already."
Tom broke into tears again.
"I know," he sobbed. "I know, Dad," he said and wondered why Jason had all those wonderful, sweet names for him and he only called him 'Dad'... "I try, b-but it's so hard to tell yourself tha-at you're not a piece of shit when y-you bloody f-feel like one."
"I know, love," Jason replied gently, "But you have to try at least, hm? Because you're really the most wonderful person I know. Shh...," he then cooed as Tom was still sobbing, "My poor darling."
Tom sobbed again, just to hear more of that.
And Jason didn't disappoint him. He told him how wonderful he was, how brilliant, and Tom realised how badly he had needed to hear that. Not from anyone, no, he had needed Jason to say it, and inch by inch, the dark, crippled emptiness inside of his chest was taken over by warmth and air and lively tingling.
"You sound much better already, my boy. Do you hear how that makes me smile?"
My boy.
My boy...
"Yes," he sniffled, but with a grin. "Yes, thank you." Dad. Darling.
He sat much more upright on the sofa, he noticed too. "How are you? Sorry, I haven't asked."
