Yellow

six

"Tye?" The boy in question jumped and shoved his hands in his pockets at Travis' voice. "What are you doing out here?"

"Um... nothing." Tye replied quickly, but he couldn't do anything about the sweet strawberry smell from his vape.

"You vape?" Travis looked shocked. "Carter will not be happy if he finds out."

Tye gave him a look challenging him to tell Carter.

"I won't tell him." Travis sighed. "Pass it here." He took a drag of Tye's vape. "Carter burnt mine my first week." He explained. "How the hell did you hide that from him?"

Tye just shrugged and took it back, the two passing it back and forth for a while.

"We'd better get back inside." Travis said after a while. Tye nodded and followed him.

When they got inside they could hear some one screaming. "Get the fuck off me! I hate you!" Noah was screaming at Carter, who had his arms wrapped around him tightly.

"Its okay Noah, it's okay." Carter was holding Noah tightly to his chest. "Its okay love it's okay."

"What's going on?" Travis said as Tye took a step back towards the door. The scene in front of him was terrifying.

"Noah's having a meltdown." Kit said, frowning at them. "Where have you two been?"

"Tye wanted to look at the bees." Travis said. It was the worst lie Tye had ever heard, but he went along with it anyway.

"Bees." He confirmed with a nod.

"Okay." Kit rolled his eyes, he clearly didn't believe them.

Noah's screaming had stopped and he was sobbing in Carter's arms. The man wordlessly carried him upstairs.

"What the hell happened? What set him off?" Travis asked, noticing the way Tye had retreated to the doorway, as though he could melt through it, he offered the boy his hand, excitement and shock fizzing through him when Tye made the decision to take it.

"Honestly I'm not sure." Kit sighed. "I'm going to make a cup of tea, you want one?"

"Nah, I'm alright." Travis said at the same time Tye shook his head.

"Your loss." Kit shrugged sauntering off in the direction of the kitchen.

"Come on, I know that witnessing a meltdown for the first time is pretty scary." Travis gently led Tye up to his room and sat him on the bed.

Tye looked around Travis' room in wonder. It had the same basic layout as his did, but with more character that showed it to be an actual lived in room.

His desk held two monitors and an expensive looking PC, the room was fairly clean apart from what looked like a half-built pyramid out of empty monster cans.

Travis sat down beside him. "Tye are you doing okay? You've had a pretty shit couple of days."

Tye thought for a moment before shrugging, he didn't know how to answer that, he didn't really know what okay felt like, let alone whether he was matching that definition.

"Can I ask why you don't talk much?" Travis asked. Tye looked at him, he wanted to run and hide in some small space where he wouldn't be found, but Travis was making effort with him and if his mother had taught him anything it was not to be rude.

"Um... scared I guess." He finally answered

"I was scared when I got here at first. But you get used to it, at the end of the day, we're here for you. You don't have to shut us out." Travis said, Tye looked at him, worried that it was about to turn into an entire lecture. "Don't shut us out, please."

"I'm sorry." Tye whispered, lying back onto the bed, trying to fight the anxiety rising up within him.

"Its hard, I get that." Travis lay beside him. "But we're here for you okay? We're always going to be here for you."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Hi Travis! Lunch is ready." It was Riley.

"We'll be right down." Travis answered.

"We?"  Riley opened the door to see the two lying on the bed. "Oh, hi Tye!"

Tye waved back at him, earning a smile from the shorter boy.

"What have you two been up to?" He asked, pulling Travis onto his feet and then offering Tye his hand so he could do the same. Tye took his hand and allowed him to pull him up too. Riley kept a hold of his hand once he was on his feet and Tye didn't try to pull away. It felt kind of nice to him, which he didn't really understand why. But he wasn't in the mood to question his own feelings.

"Just chilling, how's Noah doing?" Travis turned the attention off Tye, who felt extremely thankful for that.

"He's sleeping I think, he wore himself out. Least he didn't hurt himself this time." Riley replied. Tye stared at him in alarm. "Oh baby don't worry, he's okay, he's just tired."

Tye didn't feel particularly convinced, but he just nodded, earning another smile from the blonde.

"Come on, I'm starving." Travis broke the slightly uneasy silence that had fallen.

They walked downstairs, the others, minus Noah, were already there and were staring at them. It was at that point Tye realised Riley still had hold of his hand. He dropped it and went to his seat.

"What were you two up to?" Kit asked, he looked like he was getting ready to joke or tease them about whatever they told him.

Tye, with no expression, looked him dead in the eye and said "watching porn."

Carter choked on the water he was drinking. "I'm sorry what?"

"He's joking, we were just chatting."

"Good, you know my rules on that." Carter said. There was a somewhat dangerous tone to his voice.

"Yeah, we know." Travis rolled his eyes. "Tye's just a joker."

"Love, you need to eat." Carter said to Tye gently. Tye stared at him and then back to his plate. He took a bite from his sandwich. "That's it love, I'm proud of you."

Although he still wanted to escape, Tye was beginning to feel completely safe and wanted in this house. And he wasn't sure how to feel about it.