tonyjmnz.
When Ford reaches out for him, TJ almost flinches — almost, because he’s able to stop himself, thinking that it’s fine, it’s just Ford. With TJ’s neverending list of issues with touching and being touched by other people, Ford’s the only one that doesn’t make him completely freak out. Once he settles into the touch, he feels okay with it, even feels grateful for it. All of the things he’s just said are making TJ freak out and the hand on his shoulder grounds him. Ford’s words and the hint of laughter behind them also help, making a corner of TJ’s lips turn up in a small smile. “I don’t see how any of what you’ve just told me is irrelevant bullshit, man,” he says with a small shrug. None of the things either of them has just said is irrelevant bullshit, quite the opposite, really.
He knew this was coming; Ford wasn’t just gonna let the mention of TJ’s ex just slide without any questions. For a second TJ wants to change the subject, opt out of answering but then, again, it’s Ford, why should he. There’s literally nothing in this world that TJ wouldn’t tell Ford and it’s honestly surprising that he still hasn’t heard the whole story. But that’s just TJ and his inability to talk about himself and his feelings for you. “Well, long story short, he was a total asshole,” TJ says and laughs dryly, trying to ease himself into answering Ford’s question. Where does he even start?
“I was really young and I was still recovering from my accident so I was doing kinda shit. But I was prospecting and Matt was my sponsor and shit just kinda happened. Was okay at first,” TJ shrugs and pauses, thinking about what he should say exactly. “He turned out to be an asshole. Cheated on me all the time, for starters. Used to say all kinds of nasty shit to me. About the way I look,” he goes on and almost chokes on the last bit from how tight his throat gets. That’s the part he hates thinking about the most because in an instant he can hear Matt’s voice in his head. Nobody else is gonna want you looking like that. That’s probably the one thing that’s stuck to TJ the most and the one he still can’t let go of. Even worse, most of the time, he still believes it. “Probably was right, though, I mean, look at me,” TJ scoffs and regrets saying it out loud almost immediately. That’s why he makes sure to avoid Ford’s gaze.
“It lasted for like a year, I got patched in, he went nomad right after and that was it,” TJ shrugs and then finally looks up at Ford. “Thought we were gonna talk about you, though. Not me.”
There’s anger boiling inside the pit of Ford’s stomach at what TJ says next. He couldn’t even comprehend the kindness he’s offered him just moments ago because now it really does become irrelevant. Ford and abuse was a warped section of territory. He’s spent so many years avoiding his own experience with abuse, mainly because sometimes even the thought of it brings him right back to that place. He suddenly sees himself in Marie’s grasp, her kissing his face one moment but then smacking him the next. Then he pictures his brothers, tossing him around like a football, and then Marie’s boyfriends beating him up in order to prove some kind of point. To make him a man, they’d say. It haunts him and he’s never accepted it. But in a weird way, he has, feeling as though he deserved all that he’s endured.
But when it came to friends, people he cared about, it was unacceptable. It kickstarts that anger in him that never quite goes to sleep. It awakens again, brows knitting together as TJ continues. It becomes even more prominent the moment he mentions that this so-called Matt made comments about the way he looks. “Shut the fuck up,” Ford starts the instant TJ insults himself, “Don’t ever say that shit again.” There was another thing, Ford was never exactly amazing at reassuring others or making them feel better. At least not when he’s angry. He does his best, but there’s something about him that always came off a little too harsh. Blunt, even. Though he claims it’s just honesty and he’ll swear most people deserve that said honesty, but it can sometimes come off just a little insensitive. He hopes by now that TJ understands where his true intentions reside. “You — Dude, you’re so hot. That’s nuts. Was this dude fuckin’ braindead or something?”
Once again, he’s not exactly sure how to express any kind of reassurance. Did TJ want that from him? Did he want to be uplifted? Did he want advice? It was hard to navigate the timing of the moment, but Ford always has a hard time with that anyway. So, he goes with his guts, moving to turn towards his friend fully, hands resting on his own knees. “Sometimes people are just fucking assholes. I’ve spent so much time trying to make excuses, you know? For everyone. Trying to figure out why they would do this or whatever the fuck. After a while, you start blamin’ yourself because you can’t find a damn reason because as people, we always need a reason. There’s gotta be something, right? There has to be. But that’s the thing, man, people just fucking suck sometimes. People are just assholes just because.” Then he scoffs, “You’re gorgeous, man. Like, that’s crazy. You’re cool too and really funny. Any dude would be damn lucky to be with you. How’d you pick the one gay asshole in the gang too? Only you would. You couldn’t just fuck Ollie like the rest of ‘em?” As always, he tries to lighten the situation, and leans in to playfully smack TJ on his good arm. He laughs again, “Alright, let’s stop being corny. I can’t handle anymore of this. I think we should fuck Matt up, though. You know where he is now?”












