{set when they lived in their separate apartments}
5 months. 5 months since colby had last seen Sam Golbach. 5 months since Sam had left for a quick run and never come back. At 10pm that night, when Colby was starting to worry about the whereabouts of his best friend, he received a message from the blonde himself.
"I don't where I am. Help me"
A text that made colby's heart pound loudly as he quickly phoned the police to report the situation. They'd sent out search party after search party, and Colby and his friends had waited eagerly for the call to say they'd found Sam, but it never came. Not after 1 day, 1 week, 1 month. Colby could tell that everybody was giving up, losing hope; but he refused to. The Sam and Colby channel remained neglected, as did sam and colby's personal channels; as Colby put all his effort and time in trying to figure out where Sam was. But after 4 months of absolutely no answers and no clues as to where the blonde was; Colby stopped trying. He still drove around, half-heartedly; eyes scanning areas, longing to see a mop of blonde hair walking down the street or sitting on the pavement. But he never did. So Colby sat in his apartment for almost a month, drowning in his own sadness as reality finally dawned on him. Sam was dead. The blondes body was laying in some secluded area, cold and motionless; and there was nothing the brunette could do. He stopped driving around L.A. shouting Sams name. He stopped ringing the blondes phone. He stopped leaving his apartment if it wasn't necessary. He just sat on his balcony or curled up on his sofa, watching back old videos where it was Sam and Colby. Not just Colby Brock.
His phone was ringing, but Colby couldn't be bothered to answer it. His mind flashed to the possibility that maybe it was Sam, but he pushed it to the back of his head. The phone stopped ringing, and Colby sighed, relaxing back down on his sofa and pulling the blanket back up to his chin. His mind focused back to the Netflix series he was watching, as he tried desperately to forget everything. But about half an hour later, he was disturbed yet again. This time, by someone pummelling their fists into his apartment door.
"Colby! Open up!"
It was Elton? What the hell was Elton doing here? Colby hadn't talked to the elder for months, why was he here? Colby reluctantly stood up from the sofa, trudging over to his door and swinging it open.
"What?" Colby grumbled.
"Get dressed! Come on!" Elton ordered. Colby jumped, staring at the older man as elton scanned his appearance. Colby was pretty sure he'd been wearing the same hoodie for days; and he had some old shorts on that were way too big.
"What? No. Go away," Colby groaned.
"Colby, they've found him!"
The brunette stopped, his whole body freezing up as he stared at elton.
"What-"
"They found him this morning, the police tried to phone you; said you didn't pick up. I was down as an emergency contact from all the TFIL trips, so they phoned me," Elton breathed. Tears gathered in his eyes and the brunette processed this information. Sam? His Sam? The one he'd convinced himself was dead.
"Elton-"
"Come on! Quickly change. He's at the hospital."
Colby listened to Elton, turning around and rushing to his room. He let the tears fall from his eyes and he tugged on a clean t-shirt and hoodie, and pulled on some jeans. He shoved his feet into some shoes and grabbed his phone; wiping his eyes as he locked his door and followed Elton to the older mans car. He climbed into the passenger seat as Elton started the engine, and began to drive.
"How did they..."
"They said they found him near some woods, they didn't say much else," Elton explained.
"Is he ok?" Colby asked.
"The police said the doctors would talk to us."
Colby fell silent after that, mind reeling as he realised he was gonna see Sam again. He was gonna hug Sam again. It was Sam and Colby again. Not just Colby Brock.
When they pulled up at the hospital, the two went straight to the front desk where they were directed to a room. As they approached the door, a doctor emerged from it, staring at the two expectantly.
"And you are?" He asked.
"Um, sorry.. I'm elton castee, the police rang. They found our friend," elton explained. The doctor nodded, and turned to colby, raising an eye brow. Colby stared at him, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"I'm colby."
Elton tolled his eyes at colby's bluntness as the Doctor began to speak again.
"Sam Golbach's your friend, correct?"
The two nodded, and colby's heart pounded.
"We've been led to believe that Sam was taken hostage by a group around 5 months ago......"
Colby zoned out after that, shock taking over his whole body. All this time, that he'd been lazing on his sofa and telling himself the blonde was dead, Sam was being locked away by a bunch of crazy people. The brunette wasn't listening to the doctor, but the few words he heard were "bruises" , "scratches" , "burns".
Colby winced and squeezed his eyes shut, tears burning in his eyes.
"And after examining him, there's injuries that show evidence of sexual assault..."
Colby sobbed. He let the sound escape his throat and tears flowed freely down his face. The doctor stopped talking abruptly as the brunette fell apart, falling into Elton's arms when the older man grabbed onto him. He cried for what felt like hours, face buried in Elton's shoulder as he thought of how scared sam must have been, how much pain he must have been in. What they did to him...
After he'd calmed down, Colby peeled himself of Elton, furiously wiping his eyes and he stared up at the doctor who'd had to watch that all unfold.
"Are you close, with your friend?" he asked gently. Colby nodded, sniffing as he tried to keep it together. The doctor smiled slightly, moving away from the door and opening it slightly.
"One more thing," he spoke before elton and Colby walked in.
"He's scared. Doesn't want to be touched... for obvious reasons."
Elton nodded, but colby's heart just fell further as he walked into the room. His eyes fell onto the blonde in the bed immediately, and tears gathered into his eyes again. From relief this time, because Sam was there. Sat up in bed, head down as he fiddled with his fingers. Colby could see the bruises and scratches almost immediately, his heart clenching as his eyes travelling to the angry red indents which had been dug into Sams wrists. His hands balled into fists as an image of Sam tied up in some random place flashed into his mind. The blonde seemed to have lost a lot of weight; it wasn't drastic, but it did catch his eye. There were dark circles under his sad eyes, and he could see bruises around his neck; under his eyes, on his cheekbones.
"S-sam," Colby finally whispered. The blonde flinched, eyes immediately shooting up to meet Colbys. He stared at the two men standing near the door, and Colby noticed how his eyes widened in fear, his hands clenched together tightly.
"C-colby?" Sam whispered. His voice sounded broken, and he knew instantly that Sam's throat must be sore.
"H-hey," colby smiled, tears prickling in his eyes again. He stepped closer, but stopped abruptly when Sam tensed up, and he didn't miss how the blonde went to shuffle backwards on the bed.
"Its ok, I won't hurt you, promise," colby whispered, walking forward again. Sam tensed further, and didn't relax, even when colby was right next to his bed.
"S-Sammy... it's me. It's Colby, I-I'd never hurt you. You know that," Colby sniffed, itching to pull the blonde into a tight hug and never let him go; and his heart hurt knowing he couldn't do that.
"You're safe now, okay. I promise you. Nobodies ever gonna hurt you again, I swear," Colby sniffled, his heart clenching as Sam's broken eyes looked up into his.
"P-promise?" Sam whispered. Colby nodded, resting his hand on the bed next to Sams, and letting his pinky reach out to touch Sams hand. The blonde went to pull his hand away, but stopped as he looked down. Colby slowly moved so each of this fingers were gently brushing Sams, and softly entwined their fingers and pulled their hands together tightly. Sam looked up at Colby, tears gathering in his eyes.
"C-colby?"
It sounded like a question, but Colby wasn't sure. But he nodded anyway.
"Please.. can I... can i hug you?" Colby whispered. The blonde thought about it for a moment, before hesitantly nodding his head, letting Colby sit down next to him on the bed and slowly pull him into his chest. Sam was rigid in colby's arms for a few seconds, before the familiar smell of his best friend filled his nostrils and he instantly relaxed into the brunettes chest, hands grasping at Colby's clothes as he let sobs escape his lips as relief flushed over him. After the 5 months he'd been through, Colby's arms felt like the safest place in the world. Colby was crying too, and he grasped the blonde back just as tightly, burying his nose into Sams hair as he let tears fall from his eyes. After a few moments, they released each other, but didn't pull away. Sam stayed with his head resting on colby's shoulder, his shaky hands wiping away his tears.
"I'm here too, ya know."
Elton's tone was jokey, but Sam jumped nevertheless. He grasped colby's arm, head turning to press into the side of colby's neck.
"Heyyy, hey it's okay. It's Elton, Sam. It's Elton, you know who elton is," Colby reassured, feeling Sam breathing heavily into his neck. Elton approached slowly, laying a hand on Sam shoulder, but pulled it off abruptly when the blonde whimpered and pushed further into Colby.
The brunette didn't miss the hurt that flashed across the elders face as Elton stepped back, it made colby's heart hurt.
"Hey Sam.." Elton spoke from the end of the bed. Sam shook, and Colby shushed him gently, running his hand up and down sams back.
"You know i'd never hurt you right? It's me? Uncle Elton. The one that took you to crazy places and made you jump out of buildings. The one who painted your whole room pink cos you dyed my bloody dog," he laughed softly. Colby felt Sams tensed up body softly relax in his arms, and after a few moments he pulled his face from colby's neck to look at the older man. Elton smiled, stepping closer. Sam cowered slightly, but let the older man come and sit in the chair next to his bed.
"You're safe now Sam, i promise you,"
Elton said gently, slowly moving a hand to rub Sams shoulder soothingly. Sam nodded slightly, relaxing back into Colby. Elton pulled his hand away, leaning back in the chair.
They stayed like this for another hour, Sam closing his eyes and falling asleep as Colby ran his fingers through his blonde hair. But the peace was disrupted when Jake and Corey came to visit, and Sam panicked all over again. Corey and Jake had been gentle with him, just as Elton has been. Reminded him slowly who they were, how they wouldn't hurt him, they promised him. Sam had himself pressed into Colby so hard that it was slightly painful, so it was a relief for them both when Sam felt safe enough to release Colby from his death grip. He barely spoke a word to his friends, just held one of colby's hand in both of his, fiddling with the rings. His fingers danced up colby's hand to his wrist, where he grasped one of the bracelets. It was one that the two had bought together, Sam had one too. It symbolised their friendship, and the two wore them all the time. But tears prickled in sams eyes when he turned his head to see his wrist bare.
"T-they took it.." Sam sniffed. All eyes fell to the blonde, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"Took what?" Colby asked softly.
"M-my bracelet," Sam whimpered, letting a tear fall.
"The doctors will give it back, Sam," Elton reassured, but Sam shook his head.
"N-no. They took it."
Colby tightened his grip on Sam, and the whole room fell silent. Sams sniffs were the only things filling the room until colby spoke up.
"We'll get new ones, ok?" Colby promised, squeezing Sams hand softly. Sam nodded, leaning into Colby as he shut his eyes. He was asleep in a couple of minutes, and Jake and Corey took that as their que to leave. Colby and Elton stayed until a nurse came in and told them that visiting hours were over, and then they were forced to go. Sam woke up as Colby was slowly wriggling off the bed, whining in protest and reaching back out for his friend.
"Sam, I have to go okay. I'll be back tomorrow. Promise."
Reluctantly, Sam let him. And Colby kept his promise. He was back the next morning, bright and early. And Sam hadn't doubted him for a second.
Sam stayed in hospital for a couple days. He had to make countless statements to the police, which he wasn't too keen on. For starters, he didn't like having to sit in a room alone with two threatening looking police men without Colby ( his best friend wasn't allowed to come in with him when he made statements, much to the blondes dismay). And secondly, he hated talking about what happened to him. The way those men talked to him, the way they tied him up and punched him, kicked him, burnt him. Used his body for pleasure whilst the blonde was chained, helpless. It bought him to tears to think about; let alone openly chat about it to two threatening men he'd never met before in his life. And in the end, they did let colby sit with him whilst he made his statement. He found it easier to talk when the brunette was next to him; stroking a thumb across his knuckles or rubbing his back. And when everything was done, and the blonde was finally allowed to leave, he walked out the hospital with his hand enclosed in colby's.
Sam went to his own apartment first. Colby came too, of course. He'd walked in, and let his fingers glide over the countertops, his sofa, his clothes, things he'd never thought he'd see again. He'd sat down on the sofa, memories of pizza nights and movie nights with his friends appearing in his head. He'd sat there with Colby all night, and when he got tired, he went to bed. Colby slept on his sofa, in case anything happened. And thank god he did, because at 4am, Sam woke up screaming, tears falling from his eyes as he bought his knees to his chest. Colby had come running of course, and after several moments of persuading the blonde that he was safe, that he wasn't going to hurt him; he led Sam back down and stayed sat on the side of his bed, bringing a gentle hand to brush through his hair; until the blonde fell back to sleep.
The first few months were rough. Sam slowly became used to his group of friends again, his trust in them coming back slowly but surely. He hated staying in his apartment by himself, so he mostly stayed with Colby. He'd curl up on the brunettes sofa at night to sleep; and if he had a particularly bad nightmare he'd trail into colby's room and sleep with him. He'd get anxious walking down the street, especially when a stranger bumped into him or knocked his shoulder with their own. But it got easier. They came back to youtube, slowly re-gaining a steady posting schedule which the fans were very happy about. Sam began sleeping in his own apartment, but there were still nights when colby would hear his apartment door open and before long; the small blonde would be curled into his side. There were good days and bad days. But no matter how bad things seemed, the blonde knew one thing. He was always gonna have colby. It was Sam and Colby VS the world, forever and always.
Writing this made me cry 😂
I hope everyone's doing okay, this quarantine really sucks but hopefully it'll be over soon and the world will go back to normal 🥺
- bryony ✨
