Chapter Text
Tyler sank against the wall as the ancient elevator doors closed with a deafening scrape of rusted metal and began its slow ascend to the fifth floor of their old apartment complex.
His entire body ached in a way that ran deeper than skin and bones, passing through veins and arteries until it settled deep within the very fiber of his being.
At this point, he isn't even sure if the exhaustion he felt would ever truly go away. The thought doesn't comfort him by any means, but he isn't entirely put off by it either, already far too accustomed to the routine he's built his entire life around.
Tyler pressed his forehead against a gummy wood panel, completely unbothered by the stickiness he felt on his skin, to try and steady himself against the pounding ache inside his head.
Closing his eyes for a bit, he begins to count down the seconds until the resounding ding of the elevator announces their arrival.
He steps out with a heave and starts to make his way home.
Home, to a hopefully sleeping younger sister.
Their old neighbor Mrs. Garcia had been kind enough to continue watching over her while he worked, and it's a miracle that she hasn't quit or charged Tyler anything extra for all the times he had to ask her to extend her stay, no matter how late he always was to get home.
Tonight was no different.
The time on his watch reads a little past 11 o’clock and even he has to cringe at his own lateness.
As soon as he's made it inside the apartment and bided Mrs. Garcia an apologetic goodbye along with her payment for the night, and a promise to look over her faulty sink in the morning, he makes his way to Taylor's room to check in on his little sister.
The light is already off inside her room, but the soft glow coming from the hallway is enough to illuminate his view until he spots her small form on the bed.
Her entire body is covered in a thick fuzzy blanket, the same one she refuses to part with no matter how many holes she manages to poke through it from how often she drags the thing everywhere, and if he squints his eyes a bit closer he could see the steady rise and fall of her chest as she slept.
All of his earlier exhaustion momentarily vanishes at the sight of her tucked away, protected by an army of stuffed animals and a mountain of pillows.
He let himself smile then, fondness warming his chest until he felt his whole body begin to relax.
Still, he stayed for a few more seconds to check and make sure she wasn't just pretending. And when Taylor doesn't stir from her spot, he finally closes her door with a satisfied click, reassured that she was actually fast asleep this time around.
Thank God for small miracles.
The warmth of the shower worked wonders on his aching muscles and for a blissful moment, Tyler's mind quieted down.
He doesn't look or even think about the trail of blood running down his skin or the sting of open wounds, solely focusing on the act of cleaning himself up as best as he could, letting the warm water wash away the evidence of violence on his skin.
Taylor doesn't need to see him like this, bloodied and bruised.
He makes quick work of scrubbing himself clean and by the time he’s done toweling his hair dry, he's managed to dress his wounds and get changed for bed.
He has a 6 AM shift later in the day and he tries not to lament on this fact for too long, reminding himself that he's been through worse, and that a few hours of sleep is better than having none at all. But before he could finally lay down and pass out on his bed, his bedroom door opened suddenly and a soft yawn stopped him in his tracks.
“Ty, you’re finally home.” Taylor says in greeting, voice still laced with sleep.
She's rubbing at her eyes tiredly and a part of him wants to scold her for even getting out of bed in the first place, but he picks her up in his arms instead, mindful of his injuries when he does.
Taylor practically melts in his arms and he lets himself smile at the sight as he begins to rock her back and forth, the same way their mom used to do whenever she's trying to get Tay to go back to sleep.
“Did I wake you up?” He asks her gently after a moment, making sure to rub soothing circles on her back as he begins to carry her back to her own room.
“Yeah, but I wanted to wake up.” Taylor yawned against his chest, burying her face closer until she settled comfortably in his arms.
“Why?” He asks, a mixture of exasperation and fondness coating his voice.
Taylor takes her time answering his question which surprises him, but he doesn't urge her for an explanation, content to wait until she's ready to speak again.
“I promise I’m not mad, Tay.” He adds, hoping his words are enough to placate any of her worries.
Surprisingly, it does.
“It's cause I wanted to say good night.” She finally mumbles to his chest, her warm hopeful brown eyes looking up to meet his own.
Of course she'd stay up just for something so trivial, yet he found the meaning behind her action, knew the weight of what staying up to say ‘good night’ meant for her.
It had always been her way of checking up on him, in making sure he got home safe.
She’s been doing it ever since the accident, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
A part of him ached for his sister, for the grief and terror he was unable to shield her from, but he steels himself before the emotion could manifest into something sharp and painful.
Forcing to school his own features, he breaks out into a wide smile upon her quiet revelation, hoping it was enough to show his gratitude as he places her gently on her bed with a soft “Good night, Tay.” He lets his hand brush away her fringes before kissing her forehead and tucking her back in, exactly how Mom used to do it.
Taylor is fast asleep in the next heartbeat, a soft smile gracing her lips.
Slowly, Tyler makes his way back to his own room with a lightness to his steps and in his chest. He only has a few more hours of sleep left before work starts again, but luckily for him, he's got a little sister to keep his spirits up.
She's even developed a new habit of staying up late just for him.
He should probably talk to her about it in the morning because that can't be good for her health, but for now Tyler takes comfort in the fact that he's doing his job.
Nights like this were pretty hard to bounce back from, more often than not, work has him coming home with even worse injuries at even later times of the night.
It's why he can't help but marvel at his little sister’s perpetual warmth and boundless affection. And if the price of admission would be scarred hands and a few new bruises, well it was a price Tyler could definitely afford.