Chapter Text
Buck breathed hard, his plan going to shit quickly before his eyes.
You can't panic. Calm down. You can still get out. Just think. Quick!
Doug had found his stash. The money he'd been hiding away. He had a good bit in there, considering he saved by the dollar. He almost had enough to feel comfortable enough to buy a bus ticket and still be okay for a while after. He's going to Maddie's anyways, so he doesn't need much.
But it doesn't matter because Doug found it. As soon as he noticed his chest heaving, Buck regulated his breathing to something normal.
Buck had half an idea to say something first. Cover his ass, make up something about buying a secret present for Doug. He knew it wouldn't work. Not anymore. Doug could tell what was happening. Buck had been jumpy recently, more so than normal. He doesn't lie well, has always hated it, but even when it became necessary he still couldn't fake it.
"What's this, then?" Doug spoke softly, a ploy to make Buck feel comfortable.
Buck'd fell for it too many times for it to work any longer. "I'm not going to lie anymore. I think you know what it is. If I lie you're just going to hit me more-" He stops with a cut off gasp as Doug whirls around and grabs his bicep tightly.
"You've been lying to me?" Doug growls, then immediately follows it up before Buck can respond. "Where the hell do you think you're going to go? You've got no one else. I'm it. I'm the only person who's going to put up with you. Who are you running to? Talking to idiots online again?" He shakes Buck roughly. "They don't actually like you. They don't care about you. As soon as you show up and start pulling your shit they'll treat you the same way I do. It's what you deserve."
Buck doesn't try to dislodge his arm, he knows it's futile. Buck tucks his face away from the taller man, trying to catch something out of the corner of his eye he could use to defend himself.
All the while, Doug continues, "Don't you know that? You get treated like this because you're worthless. No one will love you more than I do. I'm trying to make you better. If you'd learn from your mistakes, maybe you wouldn't feel so bad all the time."
Buck tunes him out, he's heard it all before and he doesn't need to hear it anymore. Buck knows. The farthest part of his brain tells him that it's not true and it will be better somewhere else. Buck grasps tight to that voice and curls his body further away from Doug.
Buck finally has enough reach for his fingers to grasp onto the beer Doug had brought into the room with him. He usually finished his show before he came up for bed, which is when Buck would add to his stash of money. Doug must have noticed his pattern and came to find him. Buck knows he's about to make a mess, the bottle is half full but there is nothing else he could reach.
Buck tucked his arm behind him and looked back to Doug, speaking softly, "I'm sorry. I know. I'm sorry." He feels a tear slide down his cheek. Doug lessened the pressure of his fingers around Buck's bicep.
"I don't know how you expect me to trust you when you do things like this."
"I know. I'm sorry."
Buck waited until his fingers slackened a little bit more. As soon as he felt it, he tore his arm away and swung the bottle. It shattered on impact and Buck shielded his eyes, ducking to collect his strewn money. Doug swore, scrambling back, he held a hand to the wound on his head and pulled it away to check for blood.
Buck shoved at Doug's knees, having the advantage due to his low perch. He caught Doug by surprise, and the man stumbled back into their dresser. Quick as he could, Buck grabbed his backpack from under the bed and ran as soon as his fingers grasped the canvas.
Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.
Buck knew that if Doug had been knocked out, he wouldn't stay that way for long. As Buck clambered down the stairs, trying not to lose his footing in his haste, he weighed his options.
Buck had originally planned to leave when Doug was out, grabbing a taxi to the bus station. Now, though, it was too risky to call for one and then have to wait. Buck snagged keys on his way out the front door. He only paused to throw all the other key sets around the house. Figured it'd take Doug that much longer to get on the road.
He's half tempted to take the Jeep Doug had bought him. It was the exact color and model Buck always wanted. Showed that at one point, Doug was a good husband. Once upon a time he listened to Buck. Not for a long time now, though.
The Jeep was supposed to have been a present, but Doug lorded it over Bucks head constantly. He wouldn't be surprised if he had installed some kind of tracking system in it. Instead he climbed into Doug's truck. He just needed to get to the bus station and he knew Doug had another set of keys for it. Buck hoped Doug used his head and found the truck parked at the station. He didn't need to be charged with grand theft auto or something and be a criminal on the run.
Buck knew that Doug would report him missing, act like the victimized husband, and as soon as Buck was under his roof he would make him pay for leaving. Doug had told him, in detail, how he would punish Buck.
Buck tried to drive like a normal person. He smelled like beer, having it gotten it all over himself when it shattered against his husband's head. If he got pulled over he wasn't sure he could pass a field sobriety test with how keyed up and shaky he was. It was hard to not speed through yellows, to not drive above the speed limit, or pass those on the road who strictly obeyed the limits.
When Buck pulled into the parking lot at the greyhound station he drove around in circles a few times looking for cops. Technically Buck committed a crime, hitting Doug. Buck didn’t think Doug would send cops after him in that way, so after a while he deemed it safe and parked. Buck left the keys in the cup holder and locked them in the car. He left it off to the side of the lot, hoping someone would notice when it didn't leave for days in a row and the police would pick it up and take it back to Doug.
Buying his ticket and getting onto the bus took no time at all. Buck felt like he was floating, moving through the motions without processing them. It was happening. He was leaving, there was no Doug in sight. He let himself relax into his seat. People were avoiding him, he really did reek of beer. He would just have to deal, it was a long trip ahead of him. He’d have to transfer buses a few times. Maddie just had to live in LA, across the entire country, couldn’t have made it easy for him.
When no one seemed inclined to sit next to him, Buck took up the space in his neighboring seat. He laid his backpack down and settled his head on top of it. He dreamed of Doug finding him at his next stop. He startled awake so bad someone yelled at him to hush. After
that he figured it was better to stay alert until he really felt safe.
Buck should have realized, with his track record, he wouldn’t feel safe for a while.