Yellow

thirty nine

Tye hopped in the shower when he got back, after spinning some lies to Noah and Riley about how his team lost the laser tag tournament quite dramatically. He felt dirty, like he had to wash away his lies.

How long before he was found out? Would his decisions mean that Carter would hate him? Would he realise they were too good for him and kick him out?

He hoped not. Despite hoe much he loved them, he knew his decisions forced him away from them. He hadn't brought much good to the relationship anyway, only worry, fear, drama.

Once clean and dry, dressed in shorts and one of his brothers old hoodies, Tye was about to head downstairs when he saw the light on in Artemis' room. He wandered in to see his boyfriend lying on his bed, scrolling on his phone. Artemis didn't notice him enter, until he has climbed on the bed and laid down beside him, head resting on his chest.

"Did you have a good day?" Artemis put his phone down and wrapped both arms around Tye, kissing his forehead.

"Mmhmm." Artemis always felt so safe. "I missed you, how was work?"

"It was alright, its a bit difficult to get back into it, and not be home with all of you." Artemis replied.

"What do you do?"

"I'm a physiotherapist." Artemis told him, he was playing with one of Tye's curls, he was always so gentle.

"Do you enjoy it?"

"I do, I like helping people." Artemis replied with a light smile.

"I bet you're the best." Tye told him, Artemis laughed.

"I don't know about that." He kissed the top of Tyes head  "Thank you."

"I think you are."

"You've never seen me work."

"I don't need to." Tye replied. "I know you."

Artemis laughed. "You're so cute."

Tye smiled back at him, but he couldn't ignore an unsettled feeling in his stomach, was he wrong for giving his brothers another chance? It wasn't like they would be getting out of prison anytime soon, but still. Did they even deserve his forgiveness? He had thought they had when he went to see them, but now he wasn't sure.

"Noah said you went to see Jordan, how is he?" Artemis asked. The way his partners seemed to care about Jordan made Tye so happy. Maybe he really should introduce him to them.

"He's good, struggling a bit with... with what happened." Tye told him, he hadn't told the others about that, but Artemis was not one for outsized reactions.

"At least you can talk about it together, and you can talk to us about it too, if you want." Tye smiled weakly, god, he loved this man.

"Thank you."

^^
Carter couldn't help but he excited for his date with Tye, he'd talked to the others about it and they all seemed excited for them to spend some time together, they both needed it.

Tye had called him on his lunch break, talked to him about how he was meeting up with Jordan that afternoon, how excited he was to see his friend again. Although Tye leaving the house without one of them send a spike of worry through his heart, he knew it was good for him. Jordan was important to him and Tye needed him in his life. He deserved to have his best friend present in the way his family weren't.

He returned home, chatted and cuddled with Riley and Travis for a bit, checked on Alexis, who was painting the most beautiful river landscape, found Kit and Noah playing a card game before finally finding Tye and Artemis laying on the latter's bed, cuddling and chatting quietly.