Different Paths

[potassiumboron]

​

Tyler Steel had, as far as all were concerned, a brilliant life.

He was a millionaire at just 22. He had a multitude of awards and respect among the music industry. He had fans across the whole globe who all but worshipped him for his music. Nobody realised that the man they only knew as 'MoonBoy' was suffering, every single day, with the ghosts of his past abuse.

Of course, they knew that the young man had... problems. Whether they heard the pain in his voice as he rapped, or read the lyrics to his songs, or whether they took into account that he was a clear drug addict, nobody could deny that Tyler was a troubled man. They just failed to pay attention to it. He was crying out for help, and yet most people overlooked it, preferring to see their hero as an unobtainably perfect being, rather than a flawed human like everyone else in the world. Tyler -or MoonBoy as he was only known- was revered so much by fans and the global music industry that his drug habit and problems were brushed under the carpet so he remained that musical titan.

Yet, nobody knew just how deeply troubled he was, because Tyler didn't tell anyone about the abuse he had suffered as a child at the hands of the people supposed to love him the most. The only people he had told were his closest friends; the ones that had helped him when he was a teenager on the streets of New York. They had rescued him from the hardship of homelessness, helped him perfect his music and, above that, were just friends to support him. He ended up confiding in them more than he ever thought he could, and they were more like family to him than simple friends.

It was precisely why he had lost his temper when, at an awards ceremony, another rapper in the industry insulted Benny; the person that Tyler saw as his brother and a best friend. With the drugs he was on messing with his moods, it was no surprise that he lunged to protect his friend's honour, eventually resulting in a large brawl captured -unfortunately- by the city's media. All Tyler remembered was the lights of cameras, the snapping sound as pictures were taken, and eventually the feeling of handcuffs being wrapped around his wrists as he was dragged into a police car. He wasn't going to be imprisoned for starting a fight but, as Benny made sure to tell him to comfort him, a night in the cells and a warning would suffice.

So now here he was, sat in the small, cramped cell at the precinct's police department, hunched over as he nursed his bloody nose and bruises. He could tell passing officers were glancing in, recognising that the famous rapper was sat in the cell, but he couldn't be bothered to tell them to 'piss off'. He was tired, hungry and, above all else, furious.

Little did he realise that, soon, he'd be more furious than ever when he realised that someone from his past would be making their appearance. Tyler had worked hard to forget about life in Michigan, yet soon, RY would bring it all back to him...

 

[ForeverRed]

Okay, so today was just...One of those days you know?

RY was definitely having a terrible day. It all started with this morning, so let's travel all the way back to five fucking am. RY was sprawled in his bed, in his New York apartment. He had been staring blankly at the ceiling as he listened to the couple next door argue for the fourth time this week. And to make matters worse...It was only Tuesday. Tuesday! And this was their fourth argument! He counted the seconds as he listened to the argument. He got to two hundred and fifty-three, (which was roughly, what, four minutes) when he heard a loud thump. Jumping out of his bed, he quickly grabbed his badge off the nightstand and hurried out of his apartment, still in his night clothes to bang on the door next door.

When there was no answer, he broke in, and that the girl had been knocked out, and the man was standing over her, balled up fist. Great. Now he had a domestic violence case, and he wasn't even on duty. So he grabbed him, telling him he was under arrest and called his guys over. So work started early for him that day, and his day was only going downhill. Around eight this morning, he was in a local Starbucks when a couple of teens got into a fight and spilled blazing hot coffee all over his uniform...Great. That was the least of his problems. Because New York city just loved to be full of problems all day round! He was called later that day to someone fucking robbing a local Mcdonald's. Like what the fuck? He just couldn't get some rest.

Not only that but his boss asked him to pull a double. A fucking double! Which was why he was bringing in some local drug dealer this late at night. RY was exhausted. His burgundy hair a wreck. His beautiful colored eyes had bags under them, and he looked pissed. He threw the drug dealer in a holding cell next to MoonBoy's unaware that his favorite rapper, the man he was in love with was right there. RY glanced at him for just a second and walked away. He then stopped dead in his tracks an looked back to see if his eyes were playing tricks with him. Nope...It. Was. Him. Quickly walking away he grabbed one of his friends who was working the desk and phone that night, his eyes wide. "Johnson," he called, referring to the man by his last name. "Is...Is that who I think it is? Is that M-MoonBoy in there?"

"Uh, yeah? That popular rapper right? Yeah, that's him. He got brought in not that long-hey where the hell do you think you're going?"

RY was already walking back to the cell, fixing his hair as he tried to look as presentable as possible. "I...I...H-Hi." He grinned to the man, his words stumbling out of his mouth. Gulping back a large lump in his throat, he cleared it, before speaking again. "S-Sorry to bother you, but I...I'm one of your biggest fans, MoonBoy! I...The name's RY. That song you just put out, I...I love it, I literally listen to it all the time! Can...Can I get you something? Anything?" RY didn't know that this man...WAs Tyler Steel. His old classmate...The one he could of helped but never did. But how was he to know that?

 

[potassiumboron]

Tyler was trying not to pay attention to the cops wandering past his cell. He didn't hate the police like some of his friends did; he understood that they were doing their job and that he had made a mistake by letting his emotions rule him. Benny would rant about his hatred of the cops for hours, but Tyler wasn't so keen to badmouth people whose objective in life was to help society; punish the bad guys and protect the good ones.

It was why he found it almost breathtakingly laughable to glance up to see Ryan stood before him. He remembered him instantly, even if Ryan clearly had no idea who he was - other than the rapper he apparently liked so much. Ryan hadn't been a bully like many other kids had been back in school. He hadn't called him names and he hadn't subjected him to punches and kicks like other kids had... but what he had done hurt just as much. He had ignored what was going, deliberately turned a blind eye to Tyler's suffering. He completely ignored Tyler's very existence, and that hurt him as much as the injuries did. He had been crying out for a friend, and Ryan hadn't done what was right.

Even though Tyler communicated his pain in his songs didn't mean he was close to getting over his childhood and school days. He had tried to forget about it in his day to day life, move past it all, but seeing RY in front of him after all this time brought it all back... especially when RY wasn't even seeing him for who he really was.

He understood he looked different. He had been a nervous, stuttering mess back in school, too afraid to look someone in the eye. Nobody would expect that kid to be like Tyler was now, tall, strong, and covered in tattoos. But it still didn't mean he found it okay to be smiled at by someone who didn't even recognise who he was. He felt ignored all over again, and he really didn't want to feel like that.

"...I'm doin' fine. Don't think your boss would like me getting preferential treatment 'cos I'm your favourite rapper, though," he teased lightly, forcing himself to smile as he glanced up again, his busted lip and black eye clear for the world to see. "...You don't know me, do you? You really don't know who I am? Behind the MoonBoy shit. You don't know who I am, right?"

 

[ForeverRed]

His heart nearly jumped right out of his chest when the other smiled at him. He felt his cheeks flushed with that fresh fever with the other looked at him with those hazel eyes he loved. And his voice...Damn that voice is what rocked him to his core. It was really him. This wasn't just some dream. MoonBoy was really here, and...And he was really talking to him! RY wanted to scream. He wanted to go completely fangirl. He hadn't ever bee this close to him. The closest he got was a year ago when he was front row at his concert. The tickets cost a bunch but...It was worth it. It was worth being so close to someone he was...Well in love with. And now? To actually be having a conversation with...Wait...He just asked him something. And he'd been silent for too long!

"Huh? Oh um...N-Not really, uh-uh, no." He answered in a nervous, giggling mess. His face a bright pink as he nervously chewed on his bottom lip. "I mean...You keep your personal l-life personal. I-It's something I love about you h-honestly, you're so mysterious, you're s-so-" He was caught off by looking at the name on the clipboard next to the holding cell. When they had people in holding cells, they were forced to get their names and information for a record. And the name scribbled down clear as day. 'Tyler Steel'. Tyler...Tyler Steel. He grabbed the clipboard, his eyes easily going to place of birth. Michigan. His stomach dropped, and instantly he was thrown right back to his own traumatizing childhood. And he remembered Tyler...The scared kid, crouched in a corner of a hallway, as he was being kicked by some bigger kids...How...How Tyler would show up to school with bruises...Bruises much like RY's. They were both abused at home...Ryan knew this. Ryan knew Tyler needed help. But instead of helping, he ignored him at school. He didn't want to be reminded of himself. Because Tyler reminded him of himself. RY knew now that it was wrong and when Tyler left? He realized how wrong he had been.

Tyler's the reason he's a cop now. He wanted to help everyone. To never hesitate again. And he always regretted what he hadn't done in the past. Looking back at 'MoonBoy', he stared in shock. "....Tyler. I...I can't believe it's...Tyler?" He whispered as if this was a secret. He stared at the other guilt clear as day on his face. "I...Oh my gosh..."

 

[potassiumboron]

Tyler didn't really have to tell anyone his name; he could have refused to speak, knowing they couldn't forcefully make him do that. However, he wasn't an asshole. He wasn't high right now, which meant he had his full capacity to think straight, so he knew that being cooperative and helpful with the police was the best way to get out of the situation quicker. Besides, he knew that one cop would talk to the newspapers and online sites about him in secret, and he didn't want any information leaked about him in a negative light. He knew better than to act an asshole to people who might tell the press. If he was respectful and decent, that information would only do him good in the papers, and after openly starting a brawl, he needed all the positive reception he could get.

It didn't help when one cop happened to be RY though, the thought of being nice to him making him grimace deeply - though, admittedly, he did derive plenty of pleasure from seeing him discover the truth. The guilt across his face, along with the shock, was as clear as day, and it was hard for Tyler not to smugly grin at the bombshell finally dropping.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he commented as he heaved himself to his feet, now standing a few inches taller than the other - a fact nobody would ever anticipate from school when, back then, Tyler had been the shortest guy in his class. A few years clearly made all the difference. His smile did vanish the moment he was up close to the bars, his hazel eyes narrowing in disgust. "Hey, asshole. Gonna talk to me now, are 'ya? Gonna fucking finally acknowledge my fucking existence, hm? How about you call your mate in here and have him beat me up while you watch-- you're good at that, watching me get fucking beat the shit out of. And now you're a cop. Helping people out when you couldn't bother helping me? Fucking laughable, pal."

"Oi, language. Don't talk to a cop like that, I don't care how famous you are. Shut it."

Grimacing at another police officer's remark, Tyler did lower his voice to avoid another telling off, though his eyes remained locked on RY's nonetheless. "...Whatever. I'm over it. Kinda. I don't need an apology, don't even do it. Just... get the fuck outta my face."

 

[ForeverRed]

He felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. Not because this was the rapper he was in love with. Because...Because this was Tyler. The boy he failed. The one who still plagued his dreams at night sometimes. He could have helped him. They could have helped each other. Instead...He did the wrong thing. But that's why he became a cop! To right his wrongs. And now? Now he could really right them. "...T-Tyler wait listen! I...I know what I did wasn't right. I just...I let you get bullied, I didn't even try to help. But listen, please. I-I kn-know I'm a terrible pi-piece of shit, I- fuck." She swore as tears brimmed his eyes. He blinked them back, cursing himself for being so emotional. "Listen, I'm so, so, so sorry. You...You're actually the reason I"ve become a cop."' He admitted honestly.

Now holding the bars, he pressed in close, his eyes on the other's hazel eyes, desperately trying to get the other's attention. "It's true. When you went missing...I felt like...I felt like I failed you. That I could have done something in order to help you. I felt so guilty for not helping. So...So I became a cop, so I could help people, and never be a bystander again. Please, Tyler you've...You've gotta believe me. Please forgive me. I understand if you don't but...Please." He whimpered.

The way RY stared at him it was more than obvious that he was in love with the other. The emotion that brimmed out of his eyes and spilled onto his face. He would have done anything for Tyler now. And he felt so guilty that...He didn't help back then. He wanted to make it up to him. To redeem himself. He wanted to show Tyler that he wasn't a bad guy.

 

[potassiumboron]

Tyler flinched every time his name was uttered. He wasn't against his name being said; he couldn't exactly change everything that reminded him of his childhood. He could change his name legally if he wanted to, but deep down, he didn't want to. He didn't want to change everything about himself just because of his shitty parents. He just didn't want someone from his past using his name like they knew him. RY hadn't ever taken the time to know or care for him, so the fact he uttered his name so casually disturbed the rapper.

Only close friends knew his name because they were loyal, trustworthy and, above all else, good people. They would fight for Tyler, do anything to protect him.

RY couldn't say that he had ever done that, so why did he have the right to use Tyler's name like they were good friends? He used a stage name for a reason. His name was something he rarely gave out because he only wanted people he trusted to know the real him. Using a stage name helped keep that level of detachment; he could keep something for himself.

"Stop calling me that, you have no right," he muttered darkly, stepping back to avoid the bright light, his eyes being too sensitive to it at the moment. Besides, being too near RY was provoking him and he didn't want to lose his temper; not whilst in the cell of a police station. It wouldn't end well. "...You've changed, have you? Actions speak louder than words. I ain't bothered, Ryan. I left for a reason. I don't need your grovelling apologies."

 

[ForeverRed]

"...Well then let me show you. Let my actions speak louder. Let me make it up to you. Please?" He asked, his eyes begging the other to forgive him. Since Tyler skipped town...He felt guilty. Extremely so. It made him feel so guilty it drove him to be a cop. To help and defend people. Now, here was Tyler, standing right back in his life. As his favorite rapper of all time. Now...He had a chance to apologize, to make it up to him. If Tyler would let him, but who knew if he would.

"You have every right to hate me. I was just as bad as the bullies for not helping." He whispered, looking away, his face twisted at the name...Ryan. It just shoved back all those hidden memories of his childhood. "...I...I don't know if you knew this but I...I was like you too, Tyler...What you went through. I don't know who exactly...Did it to you, but...At home...My parents they...They uh.." He was trying to tell him about his abusive past...But he couldn't. "...I avoided you because I didn't want to be reminded of my home life at school...And looking your eyes...I knew you went through what I went through. And it was so wrong of me to avoid you, but I was a kid. Kids are dumb and do wrong things. I know this now so please let me make it up to you."

 

[potassiumboron]

Before Tyler could respond, his eyes were drawn to the door to the cells being swung open by none other than his best friend, Benny. He could have returned home to the apartment and waited for his friend to be released, but that was hardly likely when the two were inseparable. He wasn't going to allow his best friend in the entire world to wallow alone in a cell all night - he would gladly get himself arrested alongside him for the night just to give him some company.

Benny had been an aspiring rapper when he first found Tyler on the streets two years ago, and he, like Tyler, had made his dream come true. Admittedly, Tyler's fame was astronomical in comparison, but he wasn't jealous or annoyed. He was happy to see his friend get the respect he deserved, and he knew that, whatever tour Tyler went on, Benny would have his own spot to show crowds what he could do. He would often jump on tracks with his friend too, and Tyler would always give him opportunities to reach more people and have his music listened to.

He owed a lot to Tyler, and he couldn't just sit at home while his best friend was alone in a cell, probably freaking out.

"Hey, asshole. I just sprayed a can of beer all over some important papers up at reception. I think I gotta get arrested for the night, yeah?" The boy grinned, holding his hands up in anticipation of an arrest, winking towards his friend in the cell. "Put me in with that guy, I reckon I'd get on well with him."