Always (Boyxboy)

Chapter Twenty-Five -Tyler

Falling into a routine of not answering Pierce's calls or messages was easier the second time, since he muted the man's phone number and refused to read any of the texts that came though. He slept this time around as well, thanks to his medication, but he somehow felt even worse than before, his heart clenching at random times when he thought about him, spending much of his free time curled up in bed for a reason completely different than exhaustion.

For the first time, it felt like it was really over.

Of course, he needed to talk to Pierce before it could really be over, and he would. Soon. Within the next month... probably. It depended on how long it took for him to be able to think about Pierce without his heart aching.

So far, it had only been two weeks, and he still missed Pierce like fucking crazy. Every once and a while he'd think of something about Pierce that would turn his longing into fondness, but then he remembered Pierce talking about how sex was just sex and how that had been their entire relationship.

Three years boiled down to just sex.

"Why are we going over there again?" Tyler inquired, staring out of the window of James car blankly. He was only asking because he wanted his friend to think he wasn't thinking about Pierce anymore, though he could tell it didn't work when James responded:

"So you get out of bed and stop moping over something you have no right to mope over yet," with an edge of irritation in his voice. With a heavy sigh, Tyler shut his eyes, knowing what was about to come next. "You know, you'd feel much better if you talk to him".

"Not yet".

"What's holding you back?" James demanded, not for the first time. Because precisely that reason, Tyler refused to respond, shaking his head and turning his face away to look out the window again. "Tyler. You've had so many problems because you run away from conflict instead of addressing it. Why can't you just handle this like an adult-"

"Why can't you just support me?" Tyler snapped back. "God James. All you do is constantly nag me about something I already think about all the time. I know I need to talk to him, but right now, the idea of seeing him hurts too bad, so I'm going to wait. You're supposed to be my best friend. You're supposed to be on my side, no matter what".

The car was silent as James put on his blinker, slowly turning onto the street with the Bradford's house. "I'm just trying to help you," James defended softly.

"Well I'm not asking for your help. I'm asking for you to be my friend because I kind of need that right now," Tyler explained, turning his face to stare out of the car window again.

"Okay," James agreed after a long pause. He pulled to a stop on the street outside of the Bradford house, putting his car in park. "Okay. Yeah. I'll let it go".

"Thank you," Tyler mumbled back. It was awkward then. "How was that for confronting conflict?"

James began to laugh, and it didn't take long for Tyler to join him. Nothing about it was funny really, but they rarely argued, and when they did it made both of them uncomfortable enough that they typically laughed it off afterwards.

And so, they sat in the car outside of the Bradford's huge house laughing uncontrollably for a good five minutes. "I'm sorry," Tyler apologized, face aching from smiling. Fuck he had needed that. "I'm just... I want to take a little more time to compose myself so I don't look like a fool when I go to talk to him".

"No, don't apologize". James waved a hand dismissively, smiling at him for the first time in what felt like far too long. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I wasn't listening to you. It's just... I've been getting really irritable with this whole Kalen situation, and I think I was taking it out on you without realizing it. I respect that you need to take your time. That's your choice".