Tay hated Time. He hated how he could cheat on him so easily without regret, he hated how most of the time he lay in bed alone waiting for Time to come home; he hated how Time would leave the house with a kiss on Tay's cheek, a goodbye, and a 'love you' that was probably far from the truth. Tay hated how he would hear Time stumbling in their room with a strong smell of cologne that definitely wasn't his; he hated how he knew by now that it was Tem's. He hated how the thought made him sick. He hated Time. But he hated the thought of breaking up even more. He hated how pathetic he was for Time.
He loved Time, and he hated himself for it.
"Are you ready to go, babe?" Time asked him, a smile on his face and his hand outstretched to him.
Tay looked him up and down and no matter how much he hated what he did to him, Tay's thoughts always seemed to betray him. It was unfair how hot Time was. Time wore no shirt underneath his black-and-white houndstooth-patterned blazer––honestly, this was a crime on its own––but the tight black jeans he wore it with, and the one single strand of hair falling out of place, made Tay realize how he fell in love with Time when they met for the first time.
He put up with Time's behavior for a long time and he wasn't very good at explaining how or why he put up with it when people asked him. On nights when Time came home from one of his fucks, he felt his patience running thinner by the second and he would practice what to answer to those questions when he had the guts to do so.
"Yes," he smiled eventually while he took Time's hand. Time squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.
Tay loved the affection Time gave him, but knowing he gave others as much––or even more––made him sick to his stomach. Time squeezed his hand again before he let go of it to open the door of the car for him. Tay gracefully climbed in. Sometimes Tay would let his mind wander and think about how his life would be if Time only had his eyes on him. The potential Time could have as a boyfriend if he was loyal was making him insane. The small things Time did like holding a door for him, getting a drink for him at the club, combing his hair in the morning, and applying his day cream for him––if Tay allowed him to––was everything he wanted. But Time was gone for most of the time, and the things he did for Tay where only to make up for his missteps.
When they arrived at the club where they would meet Kinn, Time stepped out first and held out his hand for Tay again. It was chilly outside, but Tay's fluffy coat made it warm enough outside, and not too hot inside. Time's arm around his waist made it even warmer.
"Hey guys," smiled Tay, upon seeing his friends already sitting in the secluded area together. "Have you been here long?" Tay asked while he hugged Porsche first.
"Long enough to order a drink," grinned Kinn, while he hugged Tay next.
"I'll get one for us, babe," Time said and walked away before Tay could say anything.
Tay squinted his eyes and followed him with his gaze before Time was around the corner and out if his sight. He settled on the large leather couch opposite of the one where Porsche and Kinn sat on. "How is the business doing?"
"Better now Vegas is in charge of the minor family again," Porsche smiled and he looked more relieved than the last time Tay saw him. "Now both Kinn and I are focusing on the major family."
"So Vegas is back in business, huh?" Time interrupted them, while he handed Tay his drink with a smile, and sat beside him. His arm rested on the back of the couch behind Tay. "Are things working out between you and your cousin, Kinn?"
Kinn grimaces, "We're trying."
"Don't lie, Kinn," Porsche grinned, and he planted his elbow softly in Kinn's side. "You were all cheery yesterday over how you two formed a perfect team and fixed some business together."
