Always (Boyxboy)

Chapter Seven - Tyler

"Noted," Mike offered, sipping at the straw of his extra large soda. James looked between the two of them, offend, as if they were conspiring against him. "Stop making that face. You look like Kalen".

"So it's true that if you have enough sex with someone you start to look like them," Tyler joked, returning to the food that he had abandoned around the time his mind began to wander.

"Clearly not, because Pierce is still hot and you're not," James shot back without pause and Tyler froze, a french fry halfway to his lips.

"You think Pierce is hot?" It bothered him for some reason, which was stupid because Pierce was hot, and anyone could easily tell. He just didn't like the idea of anyone looking at the older boy long enough to realize this.

As he thought this, it occurred to him that Michael was watching him very closely, and he was quick to duck his head, hiding his face when his hair fell away from his forehead.

"Aren't you worried that someone is going to find out who you are and tell your family?" James asked Michael, seeming completely oblivious to the sudden tension. "I mean... you're a Bradford. Everyone knows you".

With an eye roll, Mike finally looked away from him. "That's not even close to being true," he protested. "You can set the app to avoid people in a certain area, and I have everywhere outside of the city blocked. Very few people living in the city know what the Bradford sons look like. Very few people in the city actually give a shit".

"You're hooking up with people in the city?!" James asked, eyes growing wide. "Like, do you go to their apartments? In the city?"

While Tyler just looked at his friend, wondering what the hell was wrong with him, Michael smiled, seeming amused. "Yeah. Where else are we going to go? I live at home, and I certainly can't take them there".

"Mike," James huffed, seeming exasperated. "You're going to get murdered".

"I am not".

"You really really are," James shot back, and Tyler sighed, leaning back in the booth as he listened to them bicker. Desperately, he wished James had never distracted him from his thoughts and he could stop thinking of Mike's sex life and go back to thinking of his own.

"James, I've done this seven times already. I've been murdered zero times and have had sex seven," Michael argued.

"That doesn't mean that-"

"Why are you so panicky about this?" Michael cut in, effectively silencing James's concern.

"Since he's so far from Kalen he feels like he can't really take care of him so he's transferring that energy to his friends," Tyler explained, taking a drink of his soda. Two nights ago, when he had gone to Pierce's, James had insisted Tyler text him as soon as he got there, and when he got home. "It's really annoying".

"Hey," James groaned, but he didn't try to deny it, which was something both Tyler and Michael noticed. "Long distance is hard".

"When are you going to see him next?" Michel inquired, and Tyler took another drink of his soda, enjoying the cold liquid washing against his throat. It was better than it had been yesterday, but Tyler's throat was still a little sore from having Pierce's cock forced down it. It was worth it, of course, and he kind of liked the fact that every time he swallowed was a reminder, but it made eating a little difficult, and if he didn't drink enough liquids his voice would start to get scratchy.

"This weekend," James admitted, smiling a bit to himself. "I couldn't last weekend because I had a shit ton of homework, and the week before he asked me not to come because he was going to a concert in Wisconsin with Lonnie and Chris, so it'll be really great to see him again".