Chapter Text
It wasn’t that Travis was hurt Schlatt had laughed when he’d given him the headphones. Well, maybe he might have been, at the time, but now he was just…
Frustrated. He was frustrated. Maybe even angry .
Because Schlatt was an idiot.
He didn’t understand why he was so determined to prove he was unaffected by all this. Why he was too stubborn to admit he was scared. Schlatt kept acting like he was going to, what, be seen as weak? They were all scared.
Travis was determined to prove to him that there wasn’t anything wrong with that.
Travis thinks it’s been...maybe a few months now? Since they were in that...place. Maybe it’s actually just been a few weeks. It feels like it’s been a while at least.
They’d finally managed to convince Schlatt to try making a video for his channel. It’d been mostly a team effort from Carson and Charlie, and Travis wasn’t entirely sure how they did it, but they did it.
Schlatt was going to try to make a video today.
A lot of the others seemed excited about it.
Travis was reasonably terrified.
“You’re overthinking things,” Cooper says, when Travis had finally given up pacing outside Schlatt's door to express his concerns in his room. “Look, it’s Schlatt. All he’s got to do is yell a lot and break things.”
That's why I’m worried. Travis doesn’t say. He just wordlessly leaves.
Travis goes over to Schlatt door, ignoring the way his brain screams at him.
He doesn’t want you there. He doesn’t want help. He doesn’t want you, just leave him-
Travis ignores it and knocks softly on the door.
The faint shuddering whimper he hears when he does confirms his worries.
“Schlatt I’m gonna come in,” Travis says softly, and there’s no response. Travis takes a deep breath and opens the door.
Schlatt's room is bright, and Travis cringes a little because of it. It takes him a moment to even find Schlatt, before he spots him under his desk, hands clamped firmly on his ears and curled up small, eyes squeezed shut and breathing irregular.
Travis's fist clenched in his pockets slightly. Dang it Schlatt.
“I'm walking over,” Travis says, before he spots a certain pair of headphones sitting haphazardly on Schlatt's desk. He furrows his brow a little, but takes them and leans down.
“Schlatt? Can you hear me?” He asks, and Schlatt flinches which he takes as a yes. “I’m gonna put the headphones on you, is that okay?”
Schlatt stiffens up, and Travis can see the internal battle going on in his head. Travis almost thinks he’s about to get yelled at, but then Schlatt gives him a tiny nod.
Okay Travis. You can do this. It’s not luck, this is something you can do. Come on.
“You probably yelled a little too loud,” Travis says, relieved, watching as Schlatt's breathing already starts to improve. “You um, that’s what happened the other day too. In the bit. That’s why you left?” Travis words it like a question, even though he knows he won’t get an answer.
“It’s not fair,” Travis mumbles eventually, shifting to sit more comfortably. “That we can’t, do things the same anymore. There are games that are out now I was really excited for, but then I realised I can’t...play them. I didn’t expect it to hurt so much.”
Travis just keeps talking. He knows he doesn’t really have the best audience per se, but it feels...nice. To just be open. At one point he did get up to turn off the lights though, when he noticed how Schlatt flinched as he tried to open up his eyes again.
Eventually though, Schlatt shifts, and Travis glances over to see the headphones now only covering one ear.
“...I ever tell you guys what happened? Back in the town?”
Travis blinks, but forces himself to look away from Schlatt so he doesn’t see his expression of shock. Schlatt didn’t really ever...talk about things, well, ever, but Travis could pick up at least that the guy didn’t really like making eye contact whenever he did.
“You know the family?” Schlatt continues, Travis noting his voice is a little hoarse. “You played with the dogs there for a bit before disappearing.”
Travis nods, thinking about how he and Carson had barely escaped. Schlatt had told them to run, and they had.
...Travis didn’t think he liked where this was going.
“He tried to kill me. The farmer.” Schlatt finally says bluntly, and Travis makes a noise of distress. “Didn’t even hide his intentions. He wasn’t even hesitant about it, like it was-was as simple as hunting a rabbit. Like that’s all I was .” Travis opens his mouth to say something, but Schlatt is barrelling on now, probably not able to stop. “He just kept casually fucking, talking to me, while I was hiding for my life in that stupid barn. He kept saying how stupid I was for getting you guys to leave. How I was useless and pathetic. How I probably only made it this far on, on relying on others...and now I’m going to die alone.”
Schlatt laughs.
Travis's expression had been going increasingly horrified the entire time, but it’s with that last sentence he starts to tear up. Schlatt notices this and grumbles, shoulders tense.
“It’s nothing.”
“What?! No-No it’s not Schlatt-“
“Just-Just drop it! I’m only telling you this because I’m-because I’m sorry .”
“...What?”
“...When you gave me those stupid headphones it was like I was back in that barn, being told I was useless unless I relied on others. Asking for help became so-so twisted in my mind, that being given help? I just, I couldn’t. It was like I was being told I really couldn’t cope on my own.”
“Schlatt I’m sorr-“
“Let me finish.”
“I was wrong Travis. I-I tried to convince myself that I didn’t need anyone’s help but I do , I really-“ Schlatt cuts off with a noise that sounds a little like a sob, and he turns it into a laugh. “I need help man. But I’ve just been a big idiot this whole time and I locked myself off instead, but I...I can’t do this.”
Travis can see the same bitter self hatred in Schlatt's eyes that he sees everyone morning, and something in him snaps.
“Yes you can.”
“What do you-“ Schlatt lets out a little yelp as Travis suddenly pulls him to his feet. He stumbles a little, but Travis steadies him.
“How'd you get out of the barn?” Travis asks, and Schlatt's eyes are just wide.
“H-huh?” He uncharacteristically squeaks, and Travis just holds his friend's shoulders firmer.
“How. Did you. Get out.”
The man flounders. “I...There was a loft? Or whatever they’re fucking called, the like, half floor up the top. It was-I mean- T-Travis what- “ Schlatt starts, but Travis can tell he’s starting to get more than a little overwhelmed again, so he changes track.
“So you got out, didn’t you? The man was wrong.”
Schlatt blinks, and Travis repeats himself.
“The man. Was wrong .”
Schlatt is just silent, just staring at Travis with a level of shocked vulnerability Travis hadn’t ever seen on him before. Travis doesn’t even know what he’s doing really, and if he mucks this up it could go bad in too many ways, but he refuses to leave this here.
“Schlatt I...You should let us help you more. And it’s-its okay to reach out for help too. But it’s-you're not asking for help cause you’re weak . And-and you’re not useless for needing to rely on others right now but you also...” Travis pauses, and swallows, wanting to make sure he says this right. “Schlatt, you got out of the barn. You can get out of this too. We're here to support you, and be a source for you to lean on, but you can do this. I know you’re strong enough too, but if you-if you need me to remind you that you’re strong enough every day, I will, I’ll come up to you every day and remind you that you can do this, and-and-“
Schlatt's laughing, and suddenly Travis is back to when he first gave him the headphones and he cuts off, thinking the worst.
“...Schlatt I’m sorr-“
Schlatt's hugging him.
Schlatt's-
Oh.
“Okay,” Schlatt whispers, almost inaudible, while Travis recovers enough to stop floundering in shock. “I...okay.”
Travis hugs him back.