CARNIVORE [MxM+]

Chapter 36

Alexei Abbots.

I was sitting in the hall with my back against Tycho's door. Riley was with me, but he was nodding off. Tycho had been silent all day, until twenty minutes ago. That's when it happened. I heard him talking to somebody, but I knew no one was there. So I knocked on his door and he finally came to say hello.

His door opened suddenly and a split second later my vision went dark as an unexpected weight met my body. Riley, who also got crushed, yelped. I realized very quickly that it was Tycho on top of us as I dug my way out of the tangle of limbs. Riley and I found air at the same time. And I couldn't believe my eyes.

Tycho was there, clutching onto my chest with tears streaming down his face. His breath wreaked of alcohol, indicating he was drunk. But I didn't care. 

"Please Alexei, please." My hands met his face and brought it to mine. He sobbed, burying his face into my sweater. 

My vision blurred, and soon enough I was crying with him. I wanted to beg him for answers. I wanted to beg him to let me help him. "Tell me, baby, please. Please tell me what's wrong."

"I can't-" Another sob wracked his body. "I can't live like this. It hurts so much. Please please please please please please make it go away." I pulled him toward me and wrapped my arms around him as he continued to cry. 

Riley was there, rubbing his back as he cried. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against the nape of his neck. He began whispering to Tycho as calmly as he could. "We'll help you, Sweetheart. We're gonna get through this because we love you. We love you, okay?"

I found myself repeating the words because I meant them so fucking much. 

We stayed there for what felt like forever. Riley never stopped rubbing his back and I never let go of him. Hell, I didn't even breathe until his heartbeat slowed, indicating he was finally asleep. I kissed his hair as softly as I could. Riley did the same before standing up, regarding me quietly.

"We should get him to a bed. But he isn't sleeping alone. Not tonight." I nodded, thinking the same thing. "He's sleeping in our room. We have the space."

I thought about sharing a bed with Tycho. Not sexually. Just us in bed. Together. I imagined him with his legs entangled with mine as I sat up, reading or working on assignments as the sun lit up the room early in the morning. Riley would be in the kitchen making his amazing breakfast, and Xavier would be in between, switching from working in the living room to the bedroom, saying the reason he moved was that he was no longer comfortable sitting there or that his leg fell asleep when in reality, that was just an excuse so he could look at us. I wanted that so badly it hurt.

Our bedroom door behind me clicked and opened, and Xavier stepped out. He looked down at me with tired eyes, but they softened anyway. Riley told him of our predicament and what we wanted to do. Wordlessly, he bent down and picked up Tycho bridal style before turning around. I was stunned at his actions, pulling myself to my feet quickly. I looked inside to see Xavier laying Tycho down on his side of the bed gently before tucking him in. Riley and I stepped inside, making him turn around. He nodded in our direction before lifting a throw from the bed and wrapping it around his shoulders.

He walked up to us, taking my chin in his hand and cupping Riley's with his other. "Take care of him. I'll be in the living room." I opened my mouth to reply but nothing came out. Riley was the same way. I couldn't find the words to say as I watched him walk toward the door. But we didn't need to.

"Wait." It was quiet, but there. Xavier paused his stride and turned toward the bed as we did.

It was Tycho. His eyes were on Xavier as he spoke. "Please don't leave. I'm sorry. But please don't leave."

Xavier didn't move. But after a while, his shoulders dropped. He spoke apprehensively. "Are you... sure, Tycho?"

Tycho seemed more sure than ever. "Please stay."

"...Okay. I will. For you."

All three of us climbed into bed, but instead of our usual positions, Tycho was in the center. Xavier was to my right and Tycho was to my left. Riley was on the other side of Tycho. Nobody dared to move or speak, terrified to shatter the glass that Tycho surely was. Riley and I were hesitant to touch him at first, but one of his first nights here came to mind. Tycho was a cuddler.

He pulled Riley to his chest and let him use his bicep as a pillow. Riley gratefully snuggled into his side and closed his eyes. He did the same with me, but I did one more and planted my face into the crevice of his neck, so he wrapped his arm around me instead. I felt Xavier's breath on my neck, but he didn't move to touch me. I huffed, forgetting our argument from earlier entirely and reaching backward to grab his arm. When I found his hand I grabbed it and wrapped it around my waist. He let out a quiet laugh before pressing his body against mine.

More time passed. Tycho and Riley seemed to be asleep, but Xavier wasn't. I'm pretty sure he knew I wasn't either. I was right.

He kissed the back of my neck tenderly and breathed deeply into my hair. "I'm so sorry, Alexei. I never want to fight like that with you again. Please forgive me, I-" his voice shuddered, and his grip tightened. "I love you. Please keep loving me."

I moved carefully but quickly and managed to turn around to face him. I didn't let him speak before I pressed my lips to his. "I could never stop loving you, Xavier. Even if I wanted to. Please never think something as little as an argument could threaten my feelings for you. I love you so much." 

He smiled lightly and nodded. I smiled back before closing my eyes. I felt the entirety of today at once as soon as I closed them. And before I knew it, I was gone.