Flyzik Off Radio

"D'you think he's on his flight yet?"

"Maybe."

"D'you think he's thinking about us?"

"Of course he is."

"Okay."

Jack seemed satisfied with this and cuddled tightly into Alex's side, shutting his eyes with an exhausted sigh.

Everyone was beyond tired, just like always at the end of a tour, but the drain on them emotionally was clearly shining through; Grieco had actually almost fallen asleep on his feet three times.

Their last day with Matt had mostly been spent packing and crying. And when they weren't crying, they were taking a lot of pictures and listening to Rian talk about what kind of frames they would look lovely in.

"I miss him already," Danny sighed as he approached, clutching a bag of pretzels bought from the airport store in one hand and Ian's hand in the other. The dark-haired male just sniffled and rubbed his nose, keeping his eyes downcast. He'd cried even harder than Jack when they went to separate airports, not even flying home with the tour manager one last time.

"I know," Alex breathed out equally heavily, petting Jack's shoulder as he opened his eyes.

"I wanna call him," he spoke up.

"We can't call him -- besides, he could be on his plane now anyway," Grieco dismissed beside them in the uncomfortable metal seats.

"But what if he's not? And he feels just as miserable? At least we're all together. Matt's just there all on his own," Jack argued with a pout, sitting upright and pulling his beanie into place.

Alex leaned forward, able to stretch now that Jack wasn't using him as a personal pillow, and nodded along whilst he cracked his elbows. "That's a good point. I kinda wanna call him too. Just until we board. It'll be nice."

"It's not that I don't wanna call him, I just think it's pointless since no phone ever gets fucking signal in these damn airports," Grieco pointed out.

They all proceeded to check their phones and test it out by calling each other but sure enough, it didn't work. And if someone did manage to get through, the line was terrible.

"This is hopeless," Alex muttered, shoving his phone back into his pocket and sitting back in the chair with a huff and folded arms.

"Wait! Flyzik has his radio! We can radio him!" Jack burst out excitedly, looking around the group.

"Who the fuck here keeps their radio with them when we leave, dumb-ass?" Vinny stared at him.

"They're packed up with all the rest of our shit, Jack," Alex reminded from beside him, making his boyfriend pout sadly.

"Hey, I have mine!" Danny cut in, dropping Ian's hand to dig through his pull-along suitcase. "I always take my spare one home after tour, it's bad habit."

"Danny, you're an idiot, but I love you," Alex shook his head, standing up to help him fish it out.

They came up triumphant moments later with a slightly battered but not often used radio in hand.

"How will the signal of that even reach Flyzik's radio?" Grieco frowned.

"These things were fucking expensive as shit, if it doesn't reach him then I'm suing this dick-bag company and beating them to death with their stupid radios," Alex threatened in such a calm offhand tone it made Grieco raise his eyebrows and take a step back. The singer was tired and grouchy; everyone knew it was best not to piss him off.

He turned a few knobs and clicked a couple of buttons, trying to tune it right. It was already linked with Flyzik's radio, so if the connection worked, it would beep, and hopefully, he might hear it. Everyone had gathered tightly around Alex as he fiddled with the radio, crowding in and listening intently. Against all odds, it stopped uselessly crackling and the signal came through clear. Hesitantly, Alex lifted it a little closer.

"H-hello...? Flyzik? Matt, come in."

They heard some shuffling sounds and everyone wilted, ready to give up.

"...Guys? Alex?"

"Matt!" Jack cried happily, clasping his hands together and leaning in close. "Matty, can ya hear us? We're all here, everyone's here, we're in the airport."

There was laughter from the other end. "Are you using Danny's spare radio? This is unreal! How is the connection even working?"

"Miracle," Alex replied with a grin.

"It really is. How come you're calling in? Did I forget something? Is someone in jail?" he asked, only sounding as if he were half-joking. "...Jack didn't fuck any inanimate objects in public, did he?"

"No," Alex chuckled. "No public nudity, no pissing outdoors, no accidental theft or groping. None of it has occurred. Yet. But we're going on a long break so you don't have to worry for a while, remember."

"That's a weight off my shoulders," Flyzik replied with another laugh. "Please, to all of you, dicks in pants at all times."

"We promise," Danny rolled his eyes, placing an arm around Ian's shoulders.

"Are you on your flight yet?" Ian finally spoke up, eyes already watering.

"Nope, I'm in the airport too! But my flight's gonna be boarding pretty soon. Really though, how come you're radioing me? What's up?"

"We just missed you," Jack explained, voice dampened. "We... we wanted to say goodbye one last time."

"Oh," was all Matt said, but it wasn't just any oh. It was the kind used when something touching and surprising is heard, a dropping of octaves, because there's nothing else to follow up such a gesture with.

"You're the greatest tour manager a band could have," Grieco started after a few seconds of silence. "And we just wanted to make sure you knew that. Even though we've been showering you with countless good words over the past few days."

"We've all learned a lot from you, man. We promise we'll put it into practice and be good. For a while, anyways," Danny added, squeezing Ian's waist with a sad sniff.

"Your new TM doesn't know what they're in for," Matt chuckled on the other end, but it sounded slightly broken; tears threatening.

"Whoever they are, we'll welcome them with open arms and try to keep the jizz-on-pillow pranks and dick-hits to a minimum until they feel part of the family," Alex promised, crossing his fingers over his heart even if Matt couldn't see them.

"But it won't be the same without you," Jack said, voice cracking. "Nobody could ever replace Matthew Flyzik."

"Guys," the ex-tour manager choked, and they all glanced around at each other because it was okay to stop pretending they were about to cry. "I'm in the fucking airport."

"If we're gonna weep like big girls then so are you," Alex said firmly, laughing through tears that were about to fall.

"We love you, Flyzik, dude, don't forget that you're our best friend," Rian chipped in, wiping his eyes. "You're always gonna be a part of All Time Low, no matter what you do or where you go. You're in the band."

Alex sniffed and looked towards Zack, holding the radio slightly closer to him and raising his eyebrows in question, in case he wanted to say anything. Zack's bottom lip trembled slightly before he cleared his throat and leaned towards the device.

"Well done, man," he spoke in a shaky voice. "You did good. You taught us real good. Well done."

"Gonna miss you, brother," Vinny said quickly, cupping his hand over his mouth afterwards because Vinny fucking Vegas doesn't cry. He maybe sheds a tear, but he does not cry. Nobody said anything when they heard him choke back a sob.

"We love you so much, Fly," Jack cried, tears streaming down his face -- as much as he hated to get emotional, he'd stopped trying to hold them back days ago.

"You all mean the world to me," Flyzik spoke, voice soft, but they could hear him crying. "My flight's gonna board so soon, guys, I have to... I have to go."

"We know. We know. We just had to tell you. We just wanted you to hear it," Alex nodded, sniffing and trying not to let his tears hit the radio. "And we wanted to hear you."

"I'm so glad you called in," Matt laughed slightly, voice wavering.

But it wasn't a joke. He really was. One last goodbye to his boys via radio, from one airport to another by some miracle of the gods, was something he'd hold close forever.

"We love you, Matt, we really do," Jack repeated, sobbing like a child. "We're gonna miss you and I know we keep saying it but we have to because it still hurts."

"I know," Matt comforted through the radio, and he never thought he'd wish so hard to be hugging all of his band-mates. He leaned into the device, clutching it tight in both hands just in case the feeling could translate on through to them and they'd feel it. "I'll never stop worrying about all of you and how you're doing when I'm not there. It'll never go away. I really, really love you guys. You are my family. I mean that."

"Brothers forever, dude," Alex choked out, muffling a whimper.

"Guys, my plane, I..."

"We know," Grieco leaned in. "You can go. It's okay. We all said what we wanted to say, didn't we?" He looked around at everyone nodding, doing the same back. "And... and anybody who kept quiet, well, it's just 'cause..."

"It's okay. I know. And you know, too. Family."

"Family," Grieco nodded firmly, sniffing and pinching the bridge of his nose as he leaned away, but it didn't prevent any tears from rolling down his face.

"Our last radio call," Alex laughed softly, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand. "Our last radio call and we're all crying like it's the end of Marley & Me."

"Alex! Don't even bring that up, I'm already fucking sobbing!" Jack shouted, and they all heard Flyzik erupt into laughter on the other end through his tears.

"Alright, well... there's nothing else for us to say, I don't think. We love you, man. We fuckin' love you," Alex spoke firmly, clenching his free hand into a fist.

"I love you all more than anything in the whole world," Flyzik sighed shakily, trying to calm down before he got onto the flight.

"So long, bro," Alex smiled.

There was a chorus of goodbyes and confessions of platonic love from the group all bunched around the radio, earning the strangest of looks from people passing. Jack pulled the radio from Alex's hands, clutching it with both of his own and holding it close to his mouth as he spoke.

"G'bye, Flyzik. I only ever rubbed my cock on your Mickey toys because I care about you a whole lot."

"Goodbye, Jack," Flyzik laughed lightly. "I only ever ejaculated into your bunk because I wanted you to know I care too."

"You what?!"

"Okay, boys, boys. What's some shared semen among friends?" Rian hushed Jack, patting his arm and making him lower the radio slightly. "We know you have to go, Matty. We really... well, we've said it all. S'hard to say goodbye. I don't think any of us really wanna stop talking because then you'll leave."

Nobody said anything or made noise of agreement, or even shared a knowing glance, because they all knew it was true. It would be easy to keep repeating the same thing over and over, just to stop the call from ending.

"Me either. I would listen to this radio for the rest of my life," Flyzik chuckled softly. "But it's time to go. You guys are... I've watched you all grow up over the last seven years and you're the same stupid kids I first started touring with but at the same time you've all come so, so fucking far. It's been... it's been really incredible. And I can't express how grateful I am that I've been on this journey with you. I want you all to know that you've made it. Dreams come true, guys. And yours did. And I don't think I can say how much it means that I am-- was. Was a part of it with you."

"You'll always be a part of it," Alex almost whispered, no longer holding back. The tears were flowing and his face was scrunched, lip trembling as he talked, voice strained and choked. The expression was mirrored in every other male surrounding the radio. "You made us what we are. Fifth member for-fucking-ever, Matthew, don't you dare forget that."

"You're gonna be a star, kid," Matt replied in a tearful laugh, and there were quiet chuckles from the group at the quote.

"We already are and it's thanks to you we made it as far as we have," Alex smiled.

"Thank-you guys," Matt sobbed softly, and he didn't even care that he was getting stared at from angles in the airport. "I really do have to go," he added, slightly more composed.

"We know. You can go now," Jack nodded, rubbing his eyes.

"Love you guys," he said once more, wiping his own eyes on the other end and shaking it off. "I'm gonna be at the next Baltimore show, just you wait!"

"We'll save you a space on stage," Alex promised with a wide grin.

"I can't wait," Flyzik was smiling equally wide. "Have a good flight. I'll see you all sometime on the other side."

"Good luck, Flyzik," Jack said sadly, and if a passer-by were to look closely, they might have seen the small salutes of the men standing very close, all aimed towards a small black radio.

They all waited, staring at the device with fresh tears falling, waiting for the sign-out. On the other side, Matt stood, finger hovering over the button hesitantly for long seconds. It was time to go. There was a flight and it wouldn't wait for him. Matt said something to his boys that they'd all heard so much in the past seven years, for the very last time, before the line went quiet.

"Flyzik off radio."