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.
"Hey loves." He greeted them, earning a smile from both. "Tye angel are you ready to go?"
"Hmm?" Tye was confused for a moment before remembering their morning conversation. "Yeah." He sat up, kissing Artemis on the cheek and coming to hug Carter. "How was work?" Carter hugged him back.
"Not a patch on being with you." He replied, briefly letting go so he could kiss Artemis. "How are you today my love?"
"Tired." But he smiled. "I'll tell you later, have a good time."
"We will." Carter caught Tye's hand in his, both of them waving at Artemis as they left.
Carter let Tye mess with the radio until he found a station he liked and had to laugh as the boy began blasting Taylor swift songs. But hearing Tye being so carefree and quietly singing along to the radio warmed his heart. Everytime he saw Tye being okay and not dragged down by recent events made him feel like he was on cloud nine.
He considered commenting on it, but Tye was clearly enjoying himself and he didn't want to ruin that. So he just turned the radio up, took Tyes hand and listened to his boyfriend singing.
The mall was fairly quiet when they arrived, pretty standard for a Tuesday evening.
Their first stop was the media store, Carter remembered that Tye had mentioned something about listening to his dad's record player on rare days his mother was out leaving him and his brothers in the care of their father. It was as Carter was perusing the records with Tye that he noticed the boy staring at something.
It was an animal crossing art print, of the characters enjoying a beach day.
"I've never been to the beach." Tye said softly as he approached.
"Never?" Carter asked, his arm going round his boyfriends shoulders as he kissed his head. The beach was maybe an hour away and he had always assumed everyone in the city had been at one point in their lives for the weekend.
Tye shook his head.
"We'll go some time." Carter said it like a promise, watching Tye's eyes light up.
"Like a holiday, with all of us?" He asked, he looked like a child on Christmas. Carter smiled and nodded. Well now he had a holiday to plan.
"Of course."
Tye grinned, going on his tiptoes ro reach up and kiss Carter. He was usually quite shy in public, but the promise of spending time with all his partners at the beach seemed to have given him some confidence.
"Come on, I want to get something else for you." The elder replied, coaxing Tye to get back to choosing records.
Once they were done, Carter took Tye into build a bear workshop, his heart split between finding the wonder on Tye's face adorable and breaking because he had clearly never experienced anything close.
He let Tye choose which bear he wanted, although why he had chosen a rotund purple ghost with a mischievous smile and large eyes he wasn't sure. But the boy seemed enamoured by it, so he just smiled and assured him it was a good idea.
Carter wasn't sure whether the worker had picked up on the fact that Tye had the same expression as some of the kids in there, or it was just her job, but she talked Tye through the process of making sure the toys heart had everything it needed. Even asking him to kiss the silk heart, which Tye did so and then passed it to Carter to do the same. Which he did, of course.
The worker then put the sound box that Carter had had pre ordered and specially made in the tummy of the ghost and they watched as she added stuffing and then the heart. Carter had also got a lavender scent for it in the hopes that it would help Tye sleep.
"Do you want to get some clothes for it?" Carter asked. Tye thought for a moment, holding the round ghost.
"Can I get him a hat?"
"Of course." Carter didn't even question it, he had been going along with the process the whole time. He had just asked that Tye didn't press the sound box until they were in the car.
"He looks like the type of guy who would wear a hat." Tye said almost philosophically. Carter nodded in agreement, although he wasn't really sure what that meant.
He let Tye choose a hat and a scarf for his ghost before taking him to make it a birth certificate.
"What are you going to name him?"
"I don't know." Tye paused, then he nodded. "Grimm."
Carter smiled. It was a fitting name for a ghost.
He went up to pay, putting the clothes in a bag, but letting Tye carry 'Grimm' to the car.
"Can I press it now?" He asked. He had been anxious to listen to it since Carter had told him he had bought one. Carter nodded, hearing his own voice saying 'I love you' as Tye pressed the belly of Grimm.
Tye stared at it, and then at Carter. "Its you." He looked astonished.
"Press it again." Carter prompted. Tye did so, another voice came through, saying the same phrase. 'I love you.'
"Artie." Tye murmured before pressing again, cycling through until he had heard each one of the boys say the same phrase. He went quiet.
"Love?"
"I... thank you." Tye wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "I love it."
"Come here baby." Tye climbed across into Carter's lap, arms tight around his neck as he hugged him tightly. "No matter what, we love you."
"I love you too."