Let Me Help | Tyrus (complete!)

I Trust You

After laying and talking for what felt like forever, TJ and Cyrus fell asleep. TJ didn't care about what the rest of Cyrus' friends thought about him, what mattered was that he was Cyrus' favorite person. Him. And that he had felt comfortable enough to share his secrets with him. TJ wondered why Cyrus' friends hadn't gone looking for them, they probably knew more than they did.

TJ woke up to the sound of Cyrus yawning. It must've been morning.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you" Cyrus yawned again.

TJ rolled on his side to face him, he faintly remembered Cyrus covering him with the baby blue duvet. He inhaled deeply Pine trees he thought. He loved Cyrus' room, it was so him. 

TJ smiled slightly, "Don't worry about it," he said as he sat up.

They headed for the living room where they could hear the sounds of laughter. Marty was trying to cook something and Andi was braiding Ambers hair while she sat on the dining table. Everyone's sleeping bags had been set out, making the living room a sea of dark blues and greens. TJ's sleeping bag had stayed rolled up in the corner, away from the others.

"Hello Cyrus," Buffy said suspiciously as she eyed Cyrus, "and...TJ." TJ had a...difficult...relationship with Cyrus' friends. He felt that no matter how hard he tried, he always ended up getting on their bad sides. 

Cyrus walked directly past her, heading for the slightly undercooked pancakes Marty was setting out.

"Cyrus!"Buffy called out, "explain yourself!" Cyrus simply ignored her, grinning as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't disappeared during the middle of the night to talk to the recently redeemed TJ. Cyrus sat down, took two pancakes from Marty, and cut them perfectly. 

"Yes, Buffy?" Cyrus finally said, unbothered. They eyed each other. Buffy rolled her eyes and went to help Marty.

"Hey," said Andi to TJ. He didn't think anyone had noticed him. "You're staring an awful lot at Cyrus," they said. TJ immediately looked away, the tops of his cheeks turning pink.

He rolled his eyes at them, "No I'm not" he said.

"I can see right through you TJ. you're just like Amber. Stop hiding your feelings by being mean."  Amber was eating pancakes with Cyrus, Marty, and Buffy, who were all giggling at something one of them had said.

"No, I don't. Leave me alone Andi" TJ crossed his arms.

"Fine, but we all know you like him. You get the same look Amber does" they said, moving back to the kitchen table. TJ's heart stopped beating for a second. He didn't like Cyrus, right? They were just friends? Cyrus totally didn't make him feel like a little kid. Cyrus totally wasn't his favorite person. He had written those notes because he wanted Cyrus to know those things, not to drop hints that he liked him because people with crushes totally don't leave each other notes. TJ did not like Cyrus just like how he did not want to hold his hand and touch his stupid cute face and make him smile forever. He totally just wanted to be friends. Right? Andi sat next to Amber and plucked some pancake from her plate, making Amber swat their hand away. They both smiled at each other. Amber looked totally entranced by Andi. Do I look like that?

He looked at Cyrus, who he thought looked really cute (in a friend way) with his hair hanging in front of his forehead, and with his eyes still half closed from sleep. TJ suddenly realized that he was standing in the doorway like an idiot. He took a seat next to Marty who offered him a soggy pancake, he took one but he wasn't hungry, he was too busy glancing at Cyrus who sat on the other side of the table. Everyone was suddenly silent.

"So," Marty said clearing his throat, "in case you guys didn't know, the rest of us had a fine time after you two disappeared." Buffy gently elbowed him, he glanced at her and continued, "We're not going to ask what happened but we just want you to know that you're our friends and you can talk to us and things like that. We've been friends since middle school, so if something happ-"