Yellow

twentythree

Travis let out a sigh. Tye had been downstairs getting some water for over fifteen minutes and he was missing his cuddle buddy. "How he can make a two minute trip last so long I have no idea." He shook his head.

"Baby has a short attention span, he's probably gotten distracted." Riley supplied. Travis nodded with a laugh, Tye was ridiculously easily distracted, sometimes it was hilarious, sometimes it was just worrying.

"I'll go find him." Travis climbed out of the bed. "He's a nightmare honestly."

Travis wandered down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. "Tye whats-" He cut himself off as he realised the kitchen was empty. "Tye! Where are you?"

He wandered around the downstairs, wondering where his lover had gotten to. Finding the downstairs completely empty, he wandered up to Tye's room. The light was on. "Baby what are you-" He pushed open the door to find it empty. "Tye this isn't funny!" His voice raised, his heartbeat speeding up. He ran through the first floor, finding all of the bedrooms empty.

He ran back into Carter's room, the man getting up at the panic on his face. "I can't find him."

"What do you mean?" Noah asked, Travis could see him starting to set off.

"Artie." He called, the older came over at once.

"I've got him." He pulled Noah into his chest.

"Get off me!" Noah screamed into his chest. "I want to find Tye!"

"He's not in the house." Travis said as Artemis tugged Noah out of the room. He was so protective that he if one of them went missing, it could set him off.

"Are you sure?" Carter asked.

"I searched everywhere."

"I want you all to stay here." Carter grabbed his car keys from the dresser.

"Carter where are you going?"

"Stay here!" He rarely raised his voice at them and it terrified Travis. When he had gone Riley burst into tears.

"Ri it's okay." Alexis pulled the smaller into his arms.

"Poor baby, what if he's been hurt." Riley sniffled. "What if we don't get him back."

"Carter will find him." Kit said, but he was antsy, and he looked terrified. Travis held his boyfriend close to him.

"Of course he will."

^^^
Tye awoke in a room he didn't recognise. His head was pounding and his mouth was painfully dry. He got up, the room was basically furnished, a bed, an armchair and a wardrobe and that was all. He stumbled downstairs, rubbing his eyes and hoping he would at the very least find some aspirin.

The kitchen was the first door on the left as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and he froze in the doorway as his eyes met Tucker's.

"Tye!" Tucker got up and went towards him, but was stopped by Tanner, who appeared from out of Tye's peripheral vision.

"Tye, we aren't going to hurt you, you need to understand that." Tanner said. Tye didn't move.

"How did I get here?" His memory was hazy.

"I saved you." Tanner replied, he dragged Tye over to the kitchen table and passed a mug of tea into his hands. He took a sip, it was exactly how he liked it. Milk and one and a half sugars.

"You remembered."

"Of course I did." Tanner scoffed. "You're safe here Tye, we won't let them use you like that again."

"They weren't-"

"You're a child Tye. The fact that you think they love you when they're clearly using you for your body terrifies me."

"They do love me!"

"Then where are they?" Tucker chimed in. Tye faltered.

"W-what?"

"Its been hours and they haven't even noticed you've gone."

"Well they-"

"They don't care about you Tye, they're not your family, we are." Tanner finished. Tye focused his eyes on his tea, trying to force himself not to cry. Why weren't Carter and the others looking for him?

"They don't?"

"Of course not, why do you think no one is looking for you?"

"Maybe I could call-" Tye never finished his sentence, cut off by a sharp slapping sound. He stared at Tucker, placing a shaky hand to his burning cheek.

"You're not going back Tyler!"

"I'm not staying here." Tye responded, standing up. Tanner grabbed his arm before he could move.

"Yes you are." He began dragging the boy into the hallway and opened the door to the basement, "We've tried to be patient with you Tye, you'll stay there until you let go of that stupid fantasy."

"Don't lock me up, Tanner please." Tye begged, but his brother neglected to listen, he pushed him into the doorway, Tye stumbling and slipping on the stairs,  hitting his head hard on the uneven wood. He was unconscious before Tanner had locked the door.

^^^
Tye awoke to shouting outside the door.

"I'm not playing games Tanner, where is he?" It was Carter and Tye had never heard him so mad.

"Carter!" He tried to shout, to scream, but he was so dehydrated, his throat so dry that he could only croak. Sighing in frustration and dragging himself up the stairs he banged on the door. "Please, please!"

"What was that?" Carter was so close. "If you've hurt him, so God help me!"

"Carter!" He tried again, desperately.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Tanner replied. Carter was so close, he couldn't let him leave without him.

Tye threw himself at the door, creating a loud BANG!

"Open that door." A voice Tye didn't recognise ordered. The key turned in the lock, he covered his eyes from the light, he wasn't sure how long he'd been down there.

"Tye, love." Carter ran to him. "Love you're bleeding."

Tye just wrapped his arms around the man's neck and sobbed. He'd never been so scared, so scared that he would never see him again.

"Tanner Crawford, Tucker Crawford you are under arrest."

"Mr Matthews we've called an ambulance for him, try not to move him too much, we don't know the extent of the damage." Another voice sounded. This was a more feminine voice, they sounded kind and Tye was glad they had helped save him.

"You're so strong Tye, thank you for telling me where you were." Carter kissed his head gently, mindful of the blood splattering the side of his face and half his head.

"Didn't want go lose you." Tye whispered back, he was not for a second going to let go of Carter.

"I thought we'd lost you." Carter's voice was soft, he was holding Tye so tightly and the boy was glad of it. "Its been three days love, they've kept you from us for three days."

"Three?" Tye had never wanted to be away from them for that long and it made his stomach turn to think of the worry he had put them through. "I'm sorry."

"Its not your fault love, none of this is your fault." Carter assured him, but Tye was only half listening, all of the worry that had befallen his lovers in the past month had been because of him. This was all his fault.