tennis slash - Grey Room
Title: Grey Room
Author: Kris S.
Fandom: Tennis RPS
Players: Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt (past Andy Roddick/Roger Federer, implied Lleyton Hewitt/Marat Safin)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: This did not happen.
Summary: AU. Lleyton rescues Andy from his destroyed home.
Author's Notes: Although the storm itself isn't mentioned, it's based on what's happened in neighboring towns post-Hurricane Sandy. Title from Damien Rice song of the same name. Part of netcord vol. 5 ( link)
There's a loud crash of wood falling then a voice calling out, “Hello? Is there anyone in the house?”
Andy stares at the wall, vaguely hearing the noise but unable to move. No, more appropriately, unwilling to move. There really isn’t a point in moving as there’s nothing left. He’s gone and took everything of importance. Stupid destroyed boxes of distorted memories are all that are around.
“Sorry about the door. It crashed down when I knocked." A pause and then, "Sir? You need to head to the shelter.”
Andy gets up, absently following the form holding his hand out for him. “Where are we heading?”
“I’m taking people to a shelter a half hour inland. You’re my third fortunate patron.” Before Andy knows it, he’s filled up a backpack of stuff and they’re walking toward a bright yellow and green van advertising BBQ CHIX.
That van is the first thing that really catches Andy's attention. “You’re not a rescue person?”
“Yes and no. I was a volunteer firefighter but messed up my back so can’t work the field,” holding up a faded badge that appears legit, “but right now I’m just using my business van and trying to help the people. Name’s Lleyton, by the way.”
“Andy.” At this point, he doesn’t really care if this is real or a ruse that leads him to a dingy basement with a weirdo in clown makeup talking people into cutting their own limbs. None of it matters at this point since he’s gone and took everything of importance.
“Okay, Andy. Do you have anything else you want to take with you? Might never get back here.”
Andy looks back at the house, thinking what Lleyton said could be closer to a promise. “No. The backpack is fine.”
* * * * *
“Not much left of this town,” Lleyton observes as they get on the highway. “Such a shame, too. Bec had convinced me to move here ’cause of the boatyard. Now the only boats you see are the ones that landed on people’s front lawns. Did ya have a boat?”
“Used to.”
Lleyton shakes his head. “Too bad. At least you were able to get something. People evacuated before are now returning to find they can’t even get anything out of the house thanks to the combination of the tide, trees, and backed up sewage. You only got the wreckage from the tide. Still pretty bad.”
Andy realizes this guy means well - and Lleyton is the first voice he’s heard since all this started - but the small talk is giving him a headache.
“What made you stay behind? Most of your neighbors left before.”
“Didn’t matter either way.”
“I see.” Lleyton stops the car as three lanes of traffic are being diverted due to a newly-fallen tree branch. “What was her name?”
“The boat?” The steely glare thrown his way is enough of an answer. “The boat and the person have been together at sea for months so it’s all the same answer.”
Lleyton nods, then seems to remember something and gives Andy a concerned look. “You used to own Hot Rods, the fish market. The boat was named Brooklyn’s Best.”
“I did have those things.” Andy doesn’t smoke but for some reason this conversation makes him want to start.
“Good thing you sold as that building is now just a pile of wood.” Lleyton pauses, then says, “I’m sorry for your loss. I heard about Roger. You two were a great team.”
Andy shrugs, having heard versions of that for months. “It’d been good.”
With the cars at a standstill, Lleyton takes his time giving an inspection, then simply says, “It does get better.”
“Certainly can’t get worse.”
“Bec was my wife. She died in a car crash five years ago. I could have been like you, wallowing in a room full of stuff…”
“I was not wallowing.”
“Would you prefer I say you were floundering?” Lleyton giving a smirk at that pun.
Andy says in a robotic voice, “I have never heard a fish joke before in my life.” If the goal had been to make him smile, well, Lleyton can go drive this truck off a cliff. Preferably when Andy isn’t in the truck with him; he’d rather not have their obituaries together, thank you very much.
“I could have stayed depressed but I had this truck and decided it was time to actually make a difference.”
“Uh huh,” Andy looking out the window at the spot where there used to be trees but are now closer to logs. He finally asks, “Have you been with anyone since she died?”
Lleyton flinches at the question but eventually answers, “Sort of. Found a guy who’s pretty good as a distraction. He helped me get the money together for the business and sometimes there’s… more. I don’t think Marat is even capable of relationships so it’s a good fit.”
“Marat?!” Andy turns completely toward Lleyton. He wonders why he didn't realize who this was sooner. The voice should have been a dead giveaway but they'd never really met; Roger would mention dealing with a guy named Hewitt who had a grilling business. “You’re going to tell me about healthy relationships when you’re involved in that?! Wow. You’ve seriously fucked it up. He kept bugging Roger to have him join us. You’re his rebound!”
“At least I’m having experiences that don’t involve sitting around, waiting for the tide to take me away.”
“He might have been our best customer just for that reason.” Andy starts laughing suddenly. He should be back into the grey mood he gets in whenever conversation veers back but the utter ridiculousness of the situation is hitting him instead.
Lleyton can’t help but smile either as he says almost shyly, “Yeah, maybe he’s grown a fondness for barbecue. Never quite know what will get you back to reality.”
Andy grunts in reply, then happens to turn to the back of the truck and noting the supplies Lleyton has gathered for the shelter It's time to start new memories, there being little else that's survived of his old life. “Maybe I should get a new boat."
“You should. At the very least because he's missed you, too.”