Whatever, Cowboy.

Insecurity_12

  "I reopened it trying to find you in the house. Happy? Now explain that." He said, roughly pointing at the area he'd seen the scar.

  "It was an accident and it was years ago. Happy?" Austin replied in the same angry guarded tone. "Stop standing there like some grabby lineman, it's creepy." He antagonized, moving toward the kitchen to turn off the lights. "Just go upstairs and sleep again."

  Tyler was taken aback. How could Austin all of a sudden be so harsh? He'd normally apologize immediately. Was he uncomfortable with Tyler? Was it an insecurity? Why hadn't Tyler thought of it before he got so angry? Why was he so angry? "I can't." His tone softened and his posture straightened to a less protective stance. "And don't ask why, because I don't know."

  'Great.' Austin replied in his head. 'What's next? He comes and hugs me like a toddler?' This was funny to Austin until he felt hands wrap around his waist and a heavy mass press against his back. 'This motherf-'

  "I'm sorry." Tyler muttered, his eyes watching what Austin would do next. "Would you like to talk about the incident or no?"

  "Not right now."

  "Okay." Tyler's chest burned with the question of Austin feeling safe enough to tell him. Had he not gained enough trust? Who had he told before? Was it a complete secret? Did his parents know?

  Austin untangled his body from Tyler's arms and turned toward him. "The reason I know I'm gay is because I was in a relationship before. I wasn't treated right in this relationship but I didn't know what 'right' was." Each word from Austin's mouth aggravated Tyler, a past relationship? Not treated right? Tyler jumped to the conclusion that his past relationship was an abusive one and he was right. At the end of Austin's explanation, Tyler didn't know what to do other than hug him.

  "Can I give you a hug? I know it ain't manly but-" Austin rushed to his arms before Tyler could finish his response and hid his teary eyes in Tyler's shirt.

  "I'm sorry." Austin heaved, "I should've known to say I was uncomfortable, I should've told him to stop doing what I didn't want!"

  "Hey, hey, you didn't know it was wrong. You didn't know how to tell 'im. You did what you could in that time."

  The boys stood in the kitchen for a while, wrapped in each other's arms, healing each other's mind. Lights flashed through the driveway, Malorie was home. Tyler didn't seem to mind but Austin thought it would be better for her not to see them like this.

  "Uhm, she's taking me home because I actually snuck out tonight. I'll call you tomorrow?" He explained, trying not to think of what he'd just spent his night doing. The whole night he'd been thinking about Tyler and helping him, he was supposed to be home and asleep.

  The trunk honks loudly and quick two times to signal Austin it's time to go. Austin walks outside and waves to the truck before jogging toward the door. As he opens it he sees Malorie isn't alone.

  "Arizona!? What the fuck are you doing here?" Austin shrieks, he was not prepared at all for her to be in the back seat. Waiting.

  "Shhh, dude it's like 2 AM. You think you could shut up for two seconds? I snuck out to find you and this lady said she knew where you were."

  "Bless your heart, honey. You could've been kidnapped." Malorie scorned, watching Austin close the passenger side door.

  "Aww, thank you."

  "It's not a good thing, Ari." Austin explained tiredly. "So what are you doing when Mom checks your room?"

  "I was smart enough to put a dummy on my bed, dumby."

  "And when she sees that that dummy isn't breathing? Then what?"

  "Well seeing as that dummy is breathing..."

  "It's Alex, isn't it?"

  "Yep. That's what happens when Mom and Dad think you're straight."

  A moment of silence stunned the car, comebacks empty. They turned off of Aid Street onto Rosemary Drive which took them to their street in a few minutes.

  "Now, since we're coming up on the back roads of your house, do you want me to turn my lights off or keep 'em on away from the house?"

  "I would-"

  "--Pull up a house or two further than ours, pull off to the side, then once we get out drive off at the street speed." Arizona cut Austin off, the directions engraved in her mind.

  "How much have you snuck out? Damn." Austin asked, not fully sure he wanted the answer.

  "Let's not answer that. Bye Mrs. Evans!" Arizona jumped out of the car and closed the door stealthily with just enough push to latch it, she then went to Austin's side and did the same. "Rookie." She antagonized silently.

  "Let's just get inside."

  Austin and Arizona snuck toward the house, clinging to the walls for darkness, only to find the window Arizona had used to get out was shut. Austin continued to trudge toward his window that was thankfully still open. He waved Arizona over and helped her up. She stood on the garden box, then the windowsill, then fell into the room silently. Austin then did the same, he stood on the garden box, used one foot on the windowsill, then sprawled into the window quietly. Arizona and Austin bother made sure each other were okay and immediately parted ways for the night. Austin fell straight into his bed and wanted to be knocked out cold. His body was exhausted from running, lifting, catching, walking, and crying he'd done in the past 4 hours. But he couldn't fall asleep yet? His scar made him too uncomfortable to sleep. Austin stood back up, removed his shoes and his shirt, stood in front of the mirror, and tried to see himself happy with his mark. With the glass mark. With Quinn's mark.