Extorted and Expecting

Dreadful Departure

When he heard the man’s name, he immediately froze, and because he was going for another bite, his hand stayed in the air, midway to his mouth, holding the pizza there. Just the mention of Mark made Ethan’s blood run cold and his muscles tense, especially because he knew what was to come. If he didn’t go, or if he refused, it may alert Tyler and he didn’t want to worry him.. And even so, Mark would come to the house anyways. If he found a way to avoid seeing the man, it’d only be worse when Mark came over again, and Ethan didn’t want that either. After a few moments of just shutting down, Ethan gulped and took a small bite of the pizza, suddenly finding it very hard to chew and swallow, but he managed and cleared his throat, shrugging slightly. “I uh.. Any is fine, I guess..”
Tyler noticed the way Ethan just froze up and seemed to stop functioning for a few moments, and while that caused some concern, he thought it was just from him processing and trying to decide, so he let it pass,
“Do you want me to just take you, then? I’m leaving in a bit and Mark’s house is on the way to my work.”

Just hearing his name was physically painful, the word grabbing ahold of his food filled stomach and beginning to twist it brutally, he could barely keep the small bite of pizza down, so he sat it on the plate instead, it was nearly done, so it looked like he was basically finished. Once the initial shock that led into continuous fear became less profound he was able to put the mask he had been building back on, the paint covered in chips and scratches that tore across its features, but it still covered his lips and turned them into a smile, still kept his eyes calm and his emotions hidden.
“Yeah, that'll work Ty. We'll probably start planning out a video or something.” He smiled up at him, moving back in his seat to show Tyler he wanted to get up, the larger man stepped away from the chair so he could push it out and stand, his head tilted up so that they could continue to look at one another. He sent a small smile down to Ethan, lifting his hand so he could caress his cheek, holding it in place as he leaned in and connected their lips; the younger was quick to wrap his arms around his neck to keep him in the kiss, taking Tyler by surprise, though he didn't complain and sat his other hand on his hip, humming quietly as their lips began to move.

Their lips moved in sync as Tyler pulled his lover just a bit closer, and while the younger was terrified of what was to come, and he really wanted to say something or avoid it in some way or another, there wasn’t much he could do in his position. Ethan didn’t know if he’d ever tell Tyler, or anyone for that matter, and even he didn’t know the exact reason why. It wasn’t that exactly the easiest thing to bring up in conversations, not to mention Tyler and Mark had been friends for years - long before Ethan came into the picture. Mark was Tyler’s best friend and he’d be devastated if he found out and lost that close of a friend. For whatever reason, Ethan couldn’t see himself telling anyone - especially not Tyler, so he’d just take it quietly.
The first to break the kiss was Tyler when he pulled away, pressing a kiss to Ethan’s forehead and letting his lips linger there for a moment. He gave a small sigh, looking down at the bluebird,
“Sounds good. I’ll just drop you off, then,” He told him, kissing his cute nose before pulling away completely.
“Maybe tomorrow we can both go to Mark’s because I don’t work?” He suggested, walking over to the kitchen counter to get his stuff for work.

As much as Ethan loved spending time with his boyfriend and being held in his protective arms as he kissed at his cheeks and rubbed his thumbs over his knuckles, as he always loved to do when around their friends, he hated what would happen after he and Tyler would spend time with their Eurasian friend: Mark would pull all the strings he needed to get him and the youngest of the men alone, taking out all of his aggression that had built up inside him. Ethan didn't understand how he could be envious of his and Tyler's relationship when he wasn't with Mark in the first place, but seeing them together always made him much rougher on the smaller man.
“Yeah, that would be so much fun! Maybe me and Mark can work out a video idea for tomorrow.” He lied right through his teeth with a huge smile, turning away from Tyler when he felt it begin to break, gathering their plates and placing the remaining slices of pizza on one of them, moving into the kitchen with his boyfriend so he could wrap them up and put them in the fridge.
“Do you want me to pick you up when I get back from work? Or should I just bring some clothes for you and drop them off after my shift is over so I'm not waking you up at six in the morning?” Tyler asked as he left the kitchen and moved to the front door where his jacket was hung up, sliding his arms through the sleeves as he walked back towards Ethan, smiling at him.